Home Is Where The War Is
by x Louder Than Thunder
Summary: When Adele is brought to France by her mother's dying wish she meets a mysterious German, Hugo Stiglitz, who currently works for her uncle & guardian. There's one major problem though; he is the feared Jew Hunter. Hugo/OC. M for future.
1. Chapter 1

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Inglorious Basterds. ): That honor belongs to Quentin Tarantino. I wish I owned the Basterds though ;P._

_"This is the greatest, most flattering thing ever. I love, love, love, love, love this! I'm enjoying them writing my characters... the dialogue... It's like Basterds is a TV show like Combat! And these are all different episodes." - Quote from the great Quentin Tarantino himself. _

_Well, Tarantino, guess you have another to add onto the list. (;_

_Okay, girlies, I'm very sorry but I'm going to have to call "Blessed with a Curse" on hiatus as I've become obsessed (once again) with Inglourious Basterds. I've watched the movie countless amount of times in the past week that now I can quote it in English, French and German (not Italian unfortunately. Well, I can obviously quote what the Basterds are saying but not Hans Landa.) - and I cannot even speak German past a couple of Rammstein lyrics. Shameful, I know. _

_So, if I'm going to use German in my story - which I probably will just keep to English - it will be from a translator. So excuse the mistakes. But I doubt it highly that I will put you all through the trouble of translating it. By the way, it's extremely irritating when people use different languages in their stories. We know you don't speak all those languages to perfect fluency. :P It just gives me the bother of having to open another tab for a Japanese or German translator. I know, ctrl+t is so difficult D:_

_Also, this is going to be a Hugo Stiglitz/oc as I've been searching desperately for a decent, continued Stiglitz story but I haven't had much luck ): If anyone has any suggestions, please mail me them! _

_Also, I'm contemplating a Wilhelm Wicki story after this one as Stiglitz and Wicki are my favourite characters from Inglourious - even though Wicki just serves as a translator mostly. _

_Guys, I'm very sorry to inform everyone that my story updates will be shockingly slow as I'm currently going through revision for exams and I'm leaving for America in the end of June for a few weeks - excited! :') But to make up for the delay in stories, I promise that I will make the stories extra long to what I usually do. I will now write the stories in full days instead of just writing until I'm fed up. So therefore, it'll be like a daily diary entry. ;]_

_Reminded: I am Irish, therefore I speak Gaeilge more than English at home. So, yes, like every other human being, I will make mistakes unfortunately. The grammar may be off here and there and I'm apologising in advance. _

_Also, if you wish, I will personally translate the stories into French, Gaeilge or Japanese but only by a large request as it's extremely time costly. _

_Slán._

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><p>1940 - Outside Paris - Compiegne.<p>

Her head hung low as it bounced in rhythm with the turbulence of the oversized jeep that was struggling to climb the hidden roads of Compiegne. Although she occasionally stole a glance of the scenery from behind the pane of bullet-proof glass, her gaze normally remained fixated _away _from the rear-view mirror that showed innerving glances of the Gestapo officer that was assigned to escort her from Hoppegarten in Germany to the isolated country-side of Compiegne in France where she will rendezvous with her unfortunate uncle, Hans Landa, who were hiding away in France on business for the Fuhrer. She couldn't help but avert her attention away from the thoughts and memories of Landa to the letter her mother wrote for her before she died. Her mother's death was predicated for months on end, even by her mother herself, as she wrote the letter less than a month ago but only was it now that Adele was graced with the letter. Adele could tell from her mother's sprawling writing that her hands were shaking with illness and exhaustion as she sprawled the explanation about her new 'guardian'. Adele couldn't help but focus on the remaining words; _'respect your uncle and be nice.' _She scoffed at the thought of her showing the 'Jew Hunter' humanity that he shows so little of to others. She was so entranced in her own thoughts that she was barely able to notice that the jeep came to a sudden halt. It was until the Gestapo officer slammed his door shut that she recognised that she had arrived. He opened the door for her with an irritated expression and rushed her out of the jeep. Her feet landed on the floor harshly as she sheltered the letter into her coat pocket. From a distance, she recognised her uncle, Colonel Hans Landa, approaching her eagerly.

"You've finally arrived!" He announced loud enough for her to hear with a persona of delight.

She inhaled deeply and attempted to replicate his personality. "Uncle, Hans, I'm so happy to see you once again."

She was never particularly given a reason to dislike her uncle. He never treated her badly or hurt her in any way but she couldn't help but shake his dominating presence and his intimidating personality that was easily altered.

"How was your travels from Berlin to Compiegne?" He asked.

"Quite pleasant, thank you."

He took Adele's hands in his as he spoke. "I'm very sorry about your loss. Your mother was a wonderful woman and even though she is only a relative of mine through marriage, I will always consider her as my sister. You are more than welcome here." He smiled again.

It was such a strange scene to see a man with such strong face to smile so easily.

_Go to hell, asshole. _She struggled to bit her tongue.

"Thank you, Hans."

"So modest!" He laughed loudly that forced Adele to jump in surprise.

He placed his right hand into the small of her back, slightly guiding her as they walked towards the manor. It was beautiful even though time obviously took a hold of the structure.

"To your left there is something you may be unfamiliar with." Landa pulled her from her fascination with the manor as she looked towards her left.

"A barracks?" She questioned as she noticed the shed-like structure with a maximum of four soldiers outside, smoking cigarettes.

"Precisely. There's no need to be alarmed. They're just here for protection under the request of the Fuhrer. They do regular patrols of the area and soon one will be appointed to become your personal escort for travels you wish to make. But don't worry, they're aware of your title as my niece and they've been warned to only protect you." He explained with confidence.

"Thank you." Was the only response she could force.

She looked over at the barracks as they walked again towards the manor as Landa attempted to show her all the separate sections of the estate. Her attention towards him faded slowly as she gazed as the soldiers outside as they also stared at her. They seemed curious and maybe even a bit enlightened of company - except for one. His blue eyes pierced across the lot in her direction. The intense look caused her to avert her eyes back to the manor as Landa waved his arm at everything the area had to offer.

Once she was inside the manor she was greeted with a brief tour of the house as Hans pulled her to a bedroom and announced it as her sanctuary. He quickly pulled out his pocket-watch to reveal the time and made a face of impatience towards the dial. Once Adele noticed she asked for privacy to 'freshen up'. The Colonel was quick to leave, almost in a hurry, before he warned her to be ready for dinner at 5.30pm sharp. Although she was only in her uncle's presence few moments, she could tell he was a man who deeply agreed with punctuation.

She breathed a sigh of relief once she closed the door to her new bedroom. It was relatively large in size with, fortunately for her, a bathroom attached. She automatically rushed over to the window to search for the barracks. She smiled to herself when she noticed she had a perfect view but sighed in contempt when she noticed that who she was looking for was not there any longer. She disappointedly moved towards her bed, throwing herself on top of it, waiting for her luggage to arrive.

During that duration, she pulled the 'secret' letter out of her pocket and attempted to fix the crumples on it. She placed the remaining sign of her mother's existence in front of her vision and reread the scrawled lettering once again. Being left with her mother's dying request forced her to live life normally with her uncle.

A clear knock on the door pulled her from the letter, causing her to scramble through her bedroom for a second, attempting to hide the letter.

"Just a minute!" She called out as she pulled the letter into a draw beside her bed.

She jumped towards the door while attempting to ease her staggered breathing. She grasped the handle before opening the door slowly while her eyes were averted towards the floor. The first thing she noticed was her bags lined on the floor.

"Oh, thank you!" She smiled happily until she gazed at the person who was trapped behind the door moments before.

She looked up at the figure that stood about a foot taller than her. She noticed the piercing blue eyes that seemed to attempt to break into her soul even though his face remained a calm structure of stone. She noted all his features as she stared at him for what seemed forever. She recognised that although his face was exhausted and dirty, he was about four years older than her, making him twenty-five (I know Til Schweiger is forty-seven years old but I think we might be able to pass him off as twenty-five ;P). She noticed how prim and proper his appearance was as his hair remained neatly combed and his uniform was completely straightened.

"Um, hi." She said rather shyly about the fact that she was blatantly staring at him moments before.

"Hello, madam. I'm here to drop off your bags as request of Colonel Hans Landa. Allow me." He was extremely formal as he pushed himself into the room after she gestured him an invitation.

"Where shall I put these?" He asked her without a glance.

"At the foot of the bed would be perfect, thank you." She looked towards the floor.

He did not reply.

He placed the suitcases lightly down at the foot of the bed as she requested before turning to leave.

"Wait!" She mentally scolded herself for sounding eager. "I'm Adele." Was all she could offer.

"Pleasure. I'm Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz." He saluted out of respect.

"Is there anything else you'll need, Adele?" He questioned.

"No, thank you." She mumbled.

And with that she watched as he turned his heel gracefully before closing the door to her bedroom, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Since that moment, she found it extremely difficult to keep her thoughts on her mother anymore as she arranged her room based on the thoughts of Hugo Stiglitz. She found herself entranced by the characteristics and composure he held. From what Adele could tell already is that he was extremely enclosed and bleak with conversation - although she wasn't much help to begin a conversation.

At 5.30pm, she was waiting patiently in the dining area as food was being served for two. She tapped her foot on the floor as she noticed that Landa was late - so much for punctuation. She also felt extremely nervous as two armed guards stood before her, eyes straight ahead as they grasped the Gewehr 41s in there hands. She recognised one of them as Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz but the other was unrecognisable. Adele could tell that she already didn't like the soldier as he held a bored expression and a sloppy posture as he stood against the wall. She averted her attention momentarily to the door as it burst open to reveal Landa being followed by two other soldiers who joined the other two soldiers in a strict line. He paced over to the soldiers who quickly jumped into a modest posture and saluted before he pulled out a chair across from Adele.

"You're early. That's what I like to see." He smiled.

"You're late." She mumbled.

"Ah, yes. I do suppose I owe you an explanation. I was working so please, excuse my absence previously." He bleakly offered.

"Excused." She faked a smile.

Adele couldn't help but feel extreme tension as she ate slowly with the other four soldiers in their presence. She found it extremely rude to eat in front of others but this was just extremely awkward. Landa was obviously attempting to ease the tension with jokes that brought Adele to fake laughter and stories that bored her. She was extremely uninterested in his line of work, mostly because she didn't agree. After she couldn't keep up her fake appearance any longer, she excused herself, claiming she was feeling ill and she was escorted to bed.

Later that night, she continuously attempted to slip into slumber but the shouting from the German officer's activities in the barracks were extremely distracting as she suspected that they were engaging in a recreational game. She could hear the boarish shouting and cheering in shared intervals. She couldn't help but wonder what they were doing exactly and even though she lusted to join them she would never admit it. After all, it was extremely unladylike to engage in those activities as her mother always said. And now that she was in the presence of Hans Landa, she knew that she would have to keep up the persona even more. She wouldn't deny the fact that now there was extra company on the manor's landscape, Adele now thought it was might not be as horrible as she predicated. But, she also knew that tonight was the first night of her new personality to please her selfish, merciless, work-driven uncle. A personality that she would have to continue to please her uncle until she is able to escape his grasp.


	2. Chapter 2

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Currently procrastinating study._

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><p>The sun blinded her eyes as she was woken to the noises outside. The loud, obnoxious barking of German Shepherds were in conjunction with the shouts of demands from soldiers. She groaned loudly, pulling the pillow over her head. She was definitely not a morning person and waking up to this distraction was not the most pleasant way to be disturbed. She was now cursing her bedroom position despite the fact she was pleased with it the night before. With an unsatisfied look upon her face, she rolled out of bed to prepare for the day ahead.<p>

She walked downstairs with a fresh feeling as she moved into the dining area to find Landa reading the local newspaper while sipping a glass of milk.

"Ah! You're up early." He declared, folding the French paper in half before placing it on the table besides his unfinished breakfast.

"It was difficult not to wake to the shouting outside." She did not attempt to hide how irritated she was.

"Oh, apologies. I guess I have placed you in a disturbing area. Would you like me to relocate your bedroom or are you too comfortable?" He questioned generously.

"I'm okay, thank you. I'd prefer to stay where I am. I just have everything unpacked and I'm sure I will get used to it." She lied knowing that she hasn't unpacked at all.

"Whatever you wish. Soon I will assign you one of the soldiers so you can explore the town and nearby areas." He returned to his paper.

"Oh, that would be wonderful. I cannot wait to explore." She smiled genuinely.

"Very well." He nodded, obviously concentrated in something else.

The most she seated herself a plate of assorted pastries were placed before her as well as a prepared breakfast and a glass of orange juice.

"Thank you." She whispered to the maid.

"Tell me, Adele, can you speak any other languages?" He questioned randomly.

"I am fluent in French and German and I have a knowledge of English." She told him without looking up from her breakfast as she prodded it with a fork.

"Very good. I see your mother did not disappoint when it came to your education." He stated without removing his eyes from his newspaper.

"And tell me, what do you see within your future?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." She stated.

Curious, he looked up from his paper with a cocked eyebrow.

"Nothing?" He questioned.

"No."

"Well, perhaps there might be something along my line of work for you. But I would have to admit, it's far too dangerous for a woman." He thought aloud.

"I would agree." She pushed.

She wouldn't admit it to Landa but the thought of working in the same general career he was in made her sick to her stomach. She had no interest in capturing and torturing the Jewish race.

"I think that maybe soon we'd have to search for a suitor." He suggested.

She hung her head low and nodded. That was her mother's general idea for her also. But unfortunately for Adele, now that she was under the supervision of Hans Landa meant that she would probably be married off to a German officer.

"I think I might have some ideas already." He gazed off to space with interest sparkling in his eyes.

She continued to slightly eat her food as she paid no interest to his rambles about which officer would suit her best. Quick to avoid the remaining conversation, she finished the majority of her breakfast before she excused herself.

She returned to her room, gazing out the window in contempt and in despair. Her eyes searched throughout the lot, contemplating the best place for closure rather than being trapped in the house with a rambling uncle who was currently howling at someone else about the strange disappearance of suspected Jewish families. She remained in her original position as she heard her uncle furiously stomping up the stairs, approaching her bedroom. He thrashed through the door without a notice. Adele whipped around to the door with shock at his expression. He looked annoyed and flustered.

"I will have to leave immediately. There was a Jewish family located outside of Reims who have suddenly disappeared. And since I'm the interrogator, I must investigate thoroughly until I find a satisfying answer. Therefore, I regret to inform you that I will be absent for a day, perhaps. I will be returning tomorrow morning early. I may be back tonight though. I will be leaving you here with three officers for protection and one will be staying in the house, downstairs. If any of them break these rules then you report it back to me, they will face extremely harsh punishments that they are already aware of." He warned.

"Understood."

"Behave." He warned before harshly kissing her on the forehead and dismissing himself.

After he left, she rubbed her forehead roughly in an attempt to rub her uncle's rough display of affection from her skin. She remained to look through the window as she watched uncle being escorted to his jeep with another soldier who was forced to carry his luggage. She noticed how modest the soldiers were while in his presence. How the soldier that was escorting Landa went out of his way to balance his luggage while opening the backseat door for his superior. She also noticed how the remaining three soldiers stood in front of the jeep, presenting themselves with a salute. Landa bid them a farewell with a salute in return before placing himself into the car. Once the car sped away through the hidden dirt-path, Adele watched as the soldiers cheered in delight, except for Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz who remained his composure. He seemed far more mature and older than the other soldiers who believed that the disappearance of Colonel Hans Landa meant they complete freedom. They remained blissfully unaware about the fact that Adele was replacing the strict persona of her uncle. Although she would like to believe that she would replace the authority of Hans Landa, she knew that in fact it was going to be the exact opposite. She watched as the soldiers moved into the depths of the barracks.

She couldn't now help but feel extremely mischievous and attempt to go behind her uncle's back of protection and closure. She pulled herself away from the window to place her shoes on. She ran down the stairs quickly and excitedly since she was now able to break free from the rules and strict order of the household that Hans Landa held together. She reached the final step, jumping off the step like a child on Christmas day. Her over-excited smile disappeared once she came face to face with Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz who appeared to be standing at the end of the stairs for some time now. Her face flushed pale as her lips curled downwards.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Um, I'm just going to look around more thoroughly." She explained as she attempted to push past him.

"No, you're not." He stated as he pulled her arm.

"Don't touch me, please." She asked modestly. "According to my uncle, I'm in charge."

"On the contrary, according to your uncle, I'm in charge. I have authority over you for the next day. I mean you no harm, madam; I'm just here to protect you as he demanded." Hugo explained.

"Well, thank you for your concern, but I'm pretty sure I'm old enough to be able to wander throughout the area." She attempted to excuse herself once again only to be cut off completely, _once again. _

"It's not concern, it's my job. I have been request to not leave you out of my site. I'm sorry, but it's your uncle's demands."

He was getting on her nerves.

"This is unfair. All I want to do is go for a walk." She huffed.

"Then I will have to go with you." He demanded.

"Then I'm not going." She protested.

"Don't be such a child." He laughed.

She narrowed her eyes at him in a threatening manner before she stomped up the stairs, irritated. He smiled in victory at how easily annoyed she was.

She threw herself onto her bed after she slammed her door shut. She was beginning to feel extremely enclosed and trapped. She found it ridiculous that she was twenty-one years of year, a legal adult, and she wasn't allowed to explore her new household without having a Nazi babysitter who she was now turning to despise.

Despite the fact that she previously thought that the Nazi solider was attractive, now she couldn't but help look past his looks to find that he held the category of personality she despised. His overly confident personality seemed to annoy her even further than she could have imagined. The fact that he presumed that he had the authority over her made her blood boil in anger.

She stomped over to the window to peer outside to find him bossing the other soldiers. He pointed towards the direction of her bedroom, his finger followed by the eyes of one of the soldiers that forced Adele to duck underneath the window, out of view. Once she was confident once again, she peered over the window ledge to examine their actions. She noticed that Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz and another soldier were now in hand with one of the hunting dogs as they were pulled into the forest with their Gewehr 41s hanging over their shoulders. It didn't take a detective like Colonel Hans Landa to know that it was their shift for patrolling the forest. She watched as they disappeared into the canopy of trees and decided that this was her chance for adventure.

Once again, she moved downstairs but this time with the sense of stealth. She crept downstairs, through the building until she reached the back patio doors. She held her breath as she placed her hand on the door handle as she pulled the door to open. She released her breath when she discovered that the door was open. She quietly closed the door once she stepped outside and scaled the side of the house as she ran towards an opening in the back of the forest. Once she reached the opening, she ducked behind a tree to only peek out to scope the area for suspicion. She smiled to herself when she noticed that the soldier was completely oblivious to her disappearance. She sighed in relief as she turned back to walk through the forest in delight. But her expression of success soon faltered when she noticed angry German shepherd accompanied by a furious German were standing before her.

"I guess I will be cancelling my patrol." He sighed.

She glanced around, looking for an area to run.

"I wouldn't suggest running, Adele. I do have a German shepherd with me." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes, irritated.

"You wouldn't set that thing on me."

"That thing is called Rex. Are you confident enough in your theory that you would run though?" He questioned.

She scoffed loudly as she began to follow him. She was escorted to the barracks quickly as her forearm began to burn with the harsh hold of Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz.

"You're hurting me." She sneered.

"You could have been hurt a lot more out there." He stated.

"And what do I have to be frightened by? An animal." She laughed bitterly.

"Actually, yes, that's one thing. There are starving wolves in the forest that would gladly fight over a pretty little thing like you." He clenched his jaw, continuing his gaze forward as he pulled her towards the barracks further.

She looked up at him with curiosity as he didn't bother to break his composure.

_Pretty little thing. _The words continued to repeat in her mind as she walked towards the barracks without any further argument.

He moved into the barracks to find a soldier rested in his cot who suddenly jumped at the sight of Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz, saluting quickly.

"Sir." He welcomed.

"I told you to patrol the area for her safety." Hugo started.

"I did, sir." He remarked.

"Then could you please explain how she was able to sneak into the forest?" Hugo questioned with malice.

"Err, apologies sir. She must have slipped past me." He stuttered with his eyes remaining on the floor.

Adele finally felt guilty for become adventurous with the expense of the soldier.

"Unacceptable. She is a child -"

"- I'm not a child." She interrupted before he continued like he didn't hear her annoyed tone.

"And you're telling me that a child was able to slip your military skills. From now on, staff sergeant, you are to take over my duties of patrol while I will be become Adele's personal escort." He stated.

"Hey, that's not fair! I should at least have a say in this!" Adele protested.

"You're in no position to be making demands." He retorted back.

She lowered her head as Hugo Stiglitz pushed the lead to the German shepherd's control over to the staff sergeant before pulling Adele towards the manor.

"Hugo, you're hurting me. Stop it!" She protested while she struggled to pull her arm free.

He let go of her and she took the opportunity to run towards the manor. Once inside, she ran upstairs to the protection of her bedroom to throw herself onto her bed.

Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz allowed himself into the manor before he patrolled the house. He decided that he couldn't trust Adele any longer; therefore he decided to pull the doors closed before locking every door in the household. He placed the keys on his belt buckle, feeling victorious. He allowed himself into the study where Colonel Hans Landa held himself for the majority of his days. He graciously helped himself to whiskey on the rocks from Colonel Hans Landa's vast collection of international collection of alcohol.

As he sat on a chair, he couldn't help but wonder if he was being extremely harsh on the girl, therefore pushing her away from his comfort. He couldn't deny the fact that he was responsible for her unpleasant experience while staying at the manor. He contemplated the thought of going to apologies to her but quickly snarled the thought out of his head. As he placed a cigarette in between his lips, he reminded himself that it was her fault for all the controversy and that she was causing this unnecessary tension between the two. He also acknowledged the fact that she could be jeopardising his position as a Sergeant. He lit his cigarette, harshly blowing out the smoke as his mind was bombarded with thoughts of her. She was like a toxin that invaded his mind and annoyed his sanctuary at all times. He was suddenly pushed from his thoughts by a rasping on the door.

"Come in." He announced as if it was his house.

Just then, she walked into the study, a guilty expression on her face.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I just want to apologise for being so difficult. I didn't mean to cause such a hassle." She admitted.

"Just don't do it again."

"So, can I now go?" She questioned.

He sighed with an amused expression on his face.

"No." He stated while the corner of his lips curled slightly.

"Please?" She pushed.

"No. You're to go nowhere without me from now on." He stated.

Her smile fell but she continued to cross the study, leading herself towards the chair across from him.

"But that's unfair. I do need personal time." She protested.

"You will gain personal time when you become worthy of it. But until I decide you're not going to be difficult, I'm to be always by your side."

"That's not fair."

"I don't know about you, _sweetheart, _but I'm not particularly excited about being put against the wall for the death of Colonel Hans Landa's niece." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his cigarette resting between his middle and index finger.

"Well, do you want to come with me?" She questioned.

"It's dark and far more dangerous. Maybe some other time. Why are you so eager for escape, anyways?" He questioned, curious.

"Wouldn't you if you were trapped in a manor with nothing to do?" She retorted back.

"I suppose you have a point." "Aren't you supposed to be entertaining me?" She questioned.

"Protecting you." He corrected as he began to pour himself another glass.

"Would you like a drink?" He changed the subject quickly.

Her eyes sparkled with delight. "Yes, please."

He poured the whiskey into the glass before handing it to her. She looked down into the glass with curiosity.

"Not a whiskey drinker?" He questioned.

"I've never experience whiskey to be honest." She tested the liquor.

"And the verdict is?" He questioned.

"Not bad. A bit strong on the taste buds." He couldn't argue with that.

It was silence for moments. Only the sound of Hugo's exhales of smoke were noticeable.

"Would you like a cigarette?" He questioned.

"Occasionally." She admitted.

"And how about for now?"

"Yes, please."

He reached forward with the cigarette place between his thumb and middle finger. She generously took it and offered him a 'thank you' in response.

She placed the cigarette between her lips before she sparked a match to life. Hugo watched as she sunk back into the chair while exhaling the smoke. She seemed to be in haven.

"I thought I was only a child." She stated.

"Does your uncle not allow you to engage in such activity?" He ignored her question from his previous statement.

"No. He considers me too young. Although, I beg to differ since I am already an adult."

"You have a fair point. Don't tell him I allowed you to do so." Hugo offered.

"I promise then."

"So, I suppose we're coming to a truce?" He questioned after a while.

"I suppose." She shrugged before taking another inhale of smoke.

His lips curled up in response.

After another glass or whiskey and a brief conversation of small-talk, Adele found herself eager to go to bed. She bid Hugo farewell before hugging herself underneath the covers of her bed. She sighed in bliss. She couldn't deny the fact that situations in the household were far less tense without the aid of her uncle. She also couldn't deny the fact that she longed he wouldn't return home from his mission in Schonefeld.


	3. Chapter 3

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Damn you, Quentin Tarantino! Because my obsession with Inglourious Basterds I am not only procrastinating study, I'm also staying up as late as 3am to have Tarantino night D: _

_Night well spent though, I must say. Better than study any day ;)._

_Also, I've mentioned this on a few of my other stories but if anyone wishes for my skype address, just message me! :D_

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><p>Adele woke the next morning feeling even more relaxed than ever. She couldn't help but greet the sunshine glaring through her window with delight as she felt the world being lifted from her shoulders. She couldn't deny the fact that as time went on; she was becoming even more comfortable in the presence of Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz. After their confrontation last night, she seemed to be more relaxed in his presence without a doubt. She pulled herself out of bed without ease to glance outside the window with curiosity. She scanned throughout the grounds in search of the return of Landa. (Just accidentally typed Handa instead of Landa. Could be a useful nickname.) She found herself grinning once she realised that it was clearly past noon and there was no sign of her horrid uncle. As she was searching the grounds, she couldn't help but notice the presence of someone else on the field. Although the person was a horrid being, he wasn't as bad as her uncle. She watched as Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz was barking orders at the other staff sergeants with the common trait, Rex, restrained in his right hand. He was obviously briefing them on their patrol routes for the second shift of the day - dawn. Adele knew that now their patrol routes were most likely doubled now that the sergeants were halved. She watched as the remaining two officers disappeared into the forest with their artillery. After they left, her focus was now on Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz who draws a cigarette from his case, tapping it lightly on the metal case while searching the grounds. He placed the cigarette between his lips before lighting a match, shielding it from the light breeze to spark his cigarette. She was entranced as she watched him throw the matchstick with the dead flame onto the grass and look around the scenery once again. He looked towards her bedroom's window before Adele could pull away fast enough. She remained frozen, caught in the act. She could recognise his smirk from the distance as he waved in her general direction with a bigger smirk. She complied with his action by shyly waving back. He placed the cigarette between his fingers before raising his hand over head, into the air as he waved his arm forward in his general direction, clearly beckoning her towards his direction as he blew out a mist of smoke. She bit her lip as she contemplated for moments. Only seconds after, she found herself pulling on her casual clothing for the day and refreshened herself briefly. She threw on her shoes to only run down the stairs. With every step she hit, thoughts seemed to push further into her mind - why was she so excited to be bossed by a Nazi? She found herself quickly ignoring that thought to only throw the front door open and regain her composure. She walked calmly and slowly towards the five foot ten Nazi. She stood in front of him without expression.<p>

"Good morning." He offered.

"And to you." She replied.

_Perfect, another bleak conversation._

"I've received a telegram this morning if you'd like me to share it with you over breakfast." He offered.

She nodded.

He placed the dog onto the post before leading her into the house while fastening his Gewehr 41 securely towards his chest.

"Shouldn't you leave the dog free?" She questioned.

"No point." He retorted back.

"And why is that?"

"Because, we're going to be going for a patrol in a while."

"I thought you were supposed to be staying here with me, protecting me." She made an obvious tone that resembled his voice horribly.

"Yes, that's why you're coming along." He stated.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

He nodded before flicking his cigarette into the ground.

"Finally, you trust me with some freedom." She smiled, victoriously.

"Now that you put it like that, perhaps I should be putting you on the dog lead." He stated without any humour in his voice.

"You better be joking." She looked at him with shock.

"Of course." He laughed before opening the door for her.

She smiled at him sheepishly while he gestured for her to move into the manor.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. So, I'm presuming it won't be breakfast you'll be attending since it's now noon."

She laughed awkwardly.

"I guess I was up too late last night." She told him.

"I knew I should have sent you to bed earlier. I guess you're not used to regular sleeping intervals." He observed.

"Not at all." She commented.

He pulled out the chair for her while he moved to the other side of the table to pull a chair out for himself. She sat at the table just like he did. Immediately the maid brought in platters of pastries after she noticed their arrival.

"Good morning, madam. Would you like some pastries?" She questioned in her old, frail French accent.

"Yes, please." Adele responded in French.

"And you, Sergeant?" The woman averted her attention to Stiglitz in English.

"No thank you. I've already ate." He replied to her in English also.

"As you wish." With that the woman was to disappear momentarily only to return moments later with a plate of assorted cuisine.

"Thank you." Adele mumbled.

"Your welcome, madam. Anything else?" She questioned.

"Some orange juice please?" She questioned in French before turning her attention to Hugo.

"Would you like anything?" She asked in German.

"Milk, please." Hugo stated.

"Of course. Orange juice and milk please." She asked the woman.

Adele couldn't deny the fact that she felt extremely awkward and snobbish demanding the maids around like her uncle did.

The maid placed both of the glasses in front of the two of them and then excused herself.

"It's not whiskey." Adele gave him a smile from across the table.

"It's going to have to do until six in the afternoon." He retorted back before sipping on his orange juice while Adele picked around her food.

"So is that what all the soldiers believe?" She asked, trying desperately to continue the conversation.

"No, most of them here drink extremely early. Even now." He seemed lost in thought.

She realised that conversation was destroyed.

"So, you don't speak French, do you?" She questioned.

"What gave it away?" He laughed, "I only know words here and there."

"What languages can you speak?" She questioned.

"English and German." He responded.

"Oh." Was her only response.

There were a few moments of silence while she ate without another word.

"Are you generally this comfortable in the manor?" She asked.

"Usually, yes. But now that Landa's niece is here, apparently I have to be more professional and formal." He admitted.

"So, it's my entire fault then?" She teased.

"Yes." He shot down her opportunity at a conversation.

_He must be bi-polar. _

She huffed.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the telegram." He craned to the left while reaching into his pocket.

She smiled in delight with news from the outside world.

"It's from Colonel Hans Landa. He telegrammed to inform you that he will be an extra day or two." His eyes scanned throughout the paper.

"Can I see?" She asked as she extended her hand.

"No." He said, plainly.

"Why not?" She questioned.

"Because, it has Intel on it that do not concern you. Besides, you should just be able to trust me." He told her.

"He's my uncle, therefore it is my business."

"Your uncle doesn't want to worry you with the difficulties of the war." He told her again.

"By surrounding me by soldiers, shielded by bullet-proof glass in the middle of nowhere?" She questioned.

"It's all to protect you from the outside world. That's why I'm here with you now."

"Protecting me and smothering me are two different things. Besides, I never wanted this." She stared at her food.

"Point given. But I am bending the rules that your uncle set for you."

"Point given." She countered.

She finished her meal with the gesture of pushing it away from her. He looked up towards her before moving his seat out to stand. She followed his lead. They walked outside the manor with each other and she allowed Hugo Stiglitz to lock the door behind them. They walked in a simple line together as they moved towards the barracks where Rex was already jumping with excitement. She jumped when he barked.

"Fan of dogs?" He asked.

"Yes, I am. They just don't like me."

"Rex likes everyone, not to worry." He attempted to ease her nerves.

"Except for Jews and trespassers." She stated.

"Precisely." He laughed.

"Will he bite?" She questioned.

"Not at all."

He moved forward toward the dog, taking his lead into his hands. He demanded the dog to sit, which he complied.

"You can rub him if you wish." He offered.

She looked at him hesitantly as she bent down to the dog's height before looking up at Hugo for permission. He laughed at her feared expression before he kneeled to her side for comfort. He demonstrated the playfulness of the dog as he rubbed his head roughly as the dog continued to pant in delight. She reached out her hand towards the dog which seemed completely unaware of her presence. She placed her hand on the dog, following Hugo Stiglitz lead by rubbing the dog with a slight roughness. The dog moved his head to the side, shrugging off their hands to move closer to Adele. Startled by the sudden movement, Adele looked at Hugo with nerves. She looked back at the dog, only to be given affection from the dog as he liked her face with his large tongue. She laughed, attempting to pull away from him but the dog pushed forward even more. While laughing, she looked at Hugo, her eyes reflecting her delight.

"He likes you." He stated with a smirk.

"Most dogs don't." She smiled at the dog as she returned to her feet.

"You ready?" He questioned.

"Yes." She replied in sheer excitement.

"We're not going on an ordinary patrol. I'm just bringing you for a look around so you can't bug me about it anymore." His lips curled very slightly.

She nodded in response. They reached a section of the forest that was generously vast. Hugo pulled himself onto a fallen tree while Rex jumped over it with ease. Hugo quickly turned around to offer his hand to her. She contemplated taking it for a moment, just to accept his attempt of affection. But she also wondered about knocking his confidence back by not accepting it. She smiled at him as she pushed her hand into his. His rough hands were almost like sandpaper to hers, but she didn't mind. He pulled her over the broken tree as she bit her lip at the final thought of contact with each other. Once she was over the fallen tree, Hugo brought his hand to his side with her hand still in cased in his. Her heart thumped uncontrollably as she looked at their hands together before looking back up at him. She saw a distinctive smirk on his face while he continued walking, leaving her hand slip out of his. Her hand felt instantly cold without the contact. She followed him uncontrollably through the forest debris. She couldn't believe how quickly their friendship had processed. The fact that they were fighting only yesterday afternoon was now out-shadowed by the fact that they were now on better terms. They walked together down a dirt path, silently.

"Can I shoot your gun?" She asked.

"Don't be foolish." He told her.

"Why not?" She questioned.

"Because the recoil from the firing arm could damage a woman."

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I'm going to get hurt." She stated.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hugo? What's wrong?" She questioned.

He hushed her quickly before Rex started barking furiously.

"Go home." He demanded before he began running on foot.

"What? No!" She called out.

She began to run through the forest also with him.

"Go back, now!" He demanded her as he continued to run.

She didn't comply as she continued to run with him. He disappeared into a vast canopy of trees. She stopped momentarily before walking at a normal pace, pushing her way into the canopy.

"Hugo?" She questioned.

Once she reached the canopy she noticed it was a huge clearing of flat ground. She walked over to Hugo's side with questions floating throughout her mind.

"I told you to go home." He stated.

"You know I'm not a good listener, remember. What is it?" She questioned while looking around at the abandoned equipment and recently extinguished fire.

"Apparently it's a Jewish hide-out, Adele. They must have relocated here recently." He examined as he pulled the dog's lead, demanding his silence. Rex complied.

"Why do you think it was recently?" She asked in confusion.

"Because, if they were here any sooner we would have found them while on patrol and we would have killed them." He stated harshly.

Hugo walked over to the recently dead fire, testing the temperature.

"They heard us coming." He snarled.

Adele heard a branch break to her left while Hugo was speaking, she noticed that Hugo wasn't aware of the sound. She looked through the trees to her left to see in the distance a mother holding a child around her mouth for silence. They were staring directly at her with fear masking their faces. Adele stared at them with shock, not for the fact they were Jews, but for what Hugo would do to them if they were found. Adele slowly push her index finger to her lips, signalling for them to be quiet. They both looked at her finally before rushing off into the trees. The sound of their hurried getaway caused Rex to jump to alert, barking madly. Adele jumped in response as did Hugo.

"Did you startle him?" Hugo asked, laughing.

"I must have." She faked a laugh.

"Come on, we better get you home. I have to report this to the others for another patrol." He told her.

They began to walk back to the direction they entered. She observed that he had a great sense of direction.

"Adele, you're not allowed go into the forest any longer." He said, stubbornly.

"Why not?" She questioned.

"Did you not see that back there? It's enemy territory. They will not spare you, Adele." He warned her.

"Only because you didn't spare them. I can protect myself." She retorted harshly.

She began stomping out of anger until her foot snagged into a dip in the topsoil. She found herself stumbling until Hugo's reflexes caught her before impact. His arm firmly pulled around her waist as she was lifted into a normal standing position. While he pulled her up, she looked up at him and noticed how close they were now.

"Clearly not." He laughed before releasing her moments later.

They walked together for only a more few moments before Adele spoke up.

"What if there are children or mothers?" She asked him.

"What about it?"

"Do you still kill them?" She questioned.

"Of course."

"That's horrible!" She exclaimed.

"Adele, you have to understand. It's my job. I've been assigned to do this. A poacher or a butcher never feels guilty after they kill because, it's their job. Like this is my job." He stated before moving the remaining branches from their escape route. She followed him through the canopy.

"That's not an extremely good argument, Stiglitz. Animals cannot be compared to people." She stated.

"Jews can, though." He mumbled.

"That's not fair. I think it's wrong what the German army is doing. They're people, just like us." She told him.

"Adele, I cannot help my occupation enlists me to do." He told her.

"What if I was Jewish?" She questioned.

He stopped his quest to the barracks and looked at her. He was aware that he could be under the wrath of a woman if answered this question incorrectly. Although, Hugo Stiglitz was unafraid of a woman, he just really didn't feel the need for a headache.

"Honestly, if you were Jewish, the chances of us even encountering would be extremely rare."

"No, I mean now. What if you got a telegram right now from some officer telling you that I was Jewish and you had to kill me? What would you do?" She questioned.

"Get someone else to do it." He laughed.

Her mouth dropped over his response.

"Be serious, Hugo." She demanded.

"Seriously? I wouldn't. But that's because I know you, Adele. We don't know them; all we know is that they're the enemy." He told her.

"No, you're told they're the enemy. It doesn't mean they are. They've done nothing wrong."

"You've too much of a heart."

"And you have too little." She teased before walking off.

"Hey! That's harsh!" He called after her. She was waiting for him at the barracks while he released Rex from his restraint. The staff sergeant moved towards him, they both sharply saluted.

"Report." Hugo demanded.

"Unsuccessful."

Hugo contemplated for a second while he looked at Adele. He contemplated telling the staff sergeant about his findings in the forest but Adele's eyes begged him otherwise.

"Likewise." He told the officer.

He watched as Adele's face became lightened with a smile. He began walking towards the house with her following close behind.

"So, you do have a heart after all." She grinned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He told her.

All she could do was smile at the fact that she was victorious. Hugo unlocked the door and gestured for her to welcome herself into the manor. Without question she did so. She stood still as she watched Hugo lock the door firmly and disappear into the study. She noticed that he didn't close the door to the study and she contemplated if that was an invitation. She decided to act on instinct and move towards him. She saw him sitting down in the same chair as the night before, pouring two whiskeys.

"Join me." He requested.

She did without further instruction. He silently handed her the whiskey.

"Cigarette?" He offered the cigarette between his fingers.

"No, thank you."

He shrugged and pulled the cigarette back to place it between his lips.

"So, for Colonel Landa's niece, you definitely share opposite views to him." He broke the tension.

"We share different opinions on a lot of things."

"I can see that."

"And where do you stand on all of this?" She questioned curiously.

He looked up from the whiskey glass but not directly at her.

"If you're paid to do it, you do it. That's how I see it." He told her truthfully.

"Did you ever want out?" She questioned.

"Everyone wants out at some stage."

"Do you want out?" She rephrased her question.

"No."

"No? Why not?"

"Because, I believe that some good may come out of this." He offered.

"How could you be so close-minded?" She questioned, annoyed.

"On the contrary, I'm being the opposite."

"You confuse me sometimes, Stiglitz." She confessed with a sigh.

"You confuse me all the time, Adele."

She smiled, sighing with humour as she looked towards her glass.

"If you want bigger part in the war, then why are you here?" She questioned curious.

"Because, working for Colonel Hans Landa serves me for huge prospects." He admitted.

"How long more do you intend to work here for?" She questioned before scolding herself for sounding too eager once again.

"I don't know. I kind of like it here now."

"Now? Why didn't you like it before?"

"Honestly, who likes their line of work? Besides, working for Colonel Hans Landa requires great detail and punctuation. If that's ignored, there's great punishment involved." He told her before finishing his whiskey.

"Then why are you staying?" She couldn't help being so curious.

"Because, now I have a reason to stay." That was the moment when Adele's heart stopped beating when noticed his first genuine words and smile that was directed towards her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_I've decided to grace everyone with another chapter. I just don't want to study or go to bed. Might as well keep myself occupied with something, right?_

_Thank you to everyone who favourited. 3_

_klutzygal112 - You're a doll (: Don't you worry about that, I'm going through a timeline of both sides so you will be able to witness your 'nutters' character :D. Besides, he has to be the only calm one at the moment. I think Hans Landa is a bit too much to bare as it is ;)._

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><p>She found herself seated at the breakfast table earlier than normal. She noted the chefs were not prepared breakfast for once when usually they're preparing lunch when she wakes up. She glanced towards the end of the table, deciding to read the newspaper while she waited patiently. She flicked the paper into a standing position and skimmed throughout the paper slowly. As she was reading through the French articles, she couldn't help but notice that all the articles seemed to have been lacking on the tragedy of the war. Instead, the columns seemed to have reflected what they thought were the 'positives' of the war. <em>What are the positives of war?<em> She couldn't help thinking. Adele wasn't a foolish girl, she was aware that obviously the newspapers were edited to make the Germans sound like saints and martyrs. She was startled when the paper suddenly rose from her hands. She jumped to attention while sitting down to reveal Hugo Stiglitz sitting across from her.

"I was reading that." She huffed.

"Not anymore."

"But you can't even read French!" She protested.

"Yes, but you can. Like I said, shielded from the outside world." He stated.

"By my uncle's orders?" She questioned.

"No, by mine." He retorted.

"You have no authority over me." She was stubborn.

"Yes, I do." He laughed at the irritated expression on her face.

"You have no business reading about politics, Adele. It will just bring you worry." He told her genuinely while he beckoned the maid over.

"So everyone else in the world can read about these issues but I cannot?" She questioned.

"Precisely." He smiled at her.

"Do the talking, will you? Her English isn't the best at all." He offered while scrolling through the papers, glancing at the pictures no doubt.

"What would you like?"

"Surprise me." He mused as he remained gazing at the paper.

She spoke with the maid for several minutes in French as she ordered crepes for breaking with orange juice. The pastries arrived before the food as normal. She pulled out a croissant from the basket, picking at it with her fingers.

"Are you seriously just looking at the pictures in the newspaper? What are you, five?" She teased.

"You can learn a lot from the pictures." He retorted.

"How about you just allow me to translate it?" She offered.

"Why are you so desperate for the newspaper?" He looked up to give a slight smirk to her expression.

"I'm not 'desperate'. I'm merely just interested in the outside world and I don't think it's fair that you're sheltering me from it, father." She reflected his cocky smirk.

His smile coiled into a tough line.

"I just don't think that there's much to these French newspapers anyway to begin with, they're just fabricated anyway." She stated afterwards.

"Fine." He reconciled his defeat and threw the newspaper in her general direction.

Just as she snapped the paper to attention their breakfast arrived. The maid came in, balancing the plates before placing them on the table in front of Hugo and Adele. Hugo eyed the food, recognising it as a crepe suzette. The orange juice was quickly placed on the table while the maid waited for further notice.

"Merci, Madam Neville." Adele dismissed her with the name she learned earlier.

"Bon appetite." She retorted gracefully.

Hugo and Adele sat across from each, as usual. He took interest in the twisting facial expressions as she read the articles.

"What you reading about?" Hugo asked.

"Nothing worth mentioning. Did you hear about this Fredrick Zoller?" She questioned.

"Yes, apparently he's not a German hero." Hugo scoffed.

She hummed in response noticing the disgust in his voice.

"Not a fan?" She questioned.

"Just seems unlikely."

"That I would believe, not the French articles." She admitted, placing the paper down to give her attention to her breakfast.

"Is he returning today?" She questioned.

"By 'he' I presume you mean Colonel Hans Landa. But yes, he is returning today supposedly. Why do you ask?" He questioned, curious.

"Honestly, I was enjoying the freedom." She admitted.

"You consider my presence as freedom, now?" He questioned in a playful manner.

"I guess I do." She smiled at him, causing to him to place his gaze towards his breakfast in embarrassment.

He leaned slightly on the table with his elbows; a serious tone hit the air.

"You have to promise me something." He demanded.

"What?"

"You will not tell Colonel Hans Landa what you saw in the forest." He made it almost like a demand.

"The girl?" She questioned.

She noticed he was staring intensely at her.

"Girl?" He growled.

It was only now that she realised what she said. She mentally slapped herself for answering too quickly. She knew better than to leave her guard down around others and to respond before thinking.

"Did I say girl? Strange." She forced a slight laugh, "I meant the clothing and stuff. The debris they left behind." She attempted to cover her tracks with fake confidence even though she knew it was too late.

"Adele, you saw a girl? Jewish without question, too." He looked down in deep thought.

"No, I didn't mean to say that at all." She made another attempt to regain her composure.

"Adele, I'm not foolish." He said in a serious tone, "I can't believe you would disclose that information from me."He looked up at her with hurt masking his face. She instantly felt guilty and allowed her head to fall to the floor.

"I don't see why it's such a big deal. It was only a child and her mother." She retorted.

"You don't seem to see the seriousness in this. There were obviously males present in the group. They could have been either just passing through or planning an attack on the manor. To be honest, it didn't really seem like they were just settled in to pass through, Adele. I must inform the others and your uncle right away." He moved from his seat.

She began to panic, not only was she nervous for the Jewish family, she was also nervous for herself and Hugo Stiglitz. She knew that if her uncle discovered that she enclosed information about a Jewish family from Hugo Stiglitz's patrol she would be in serious trouble. Her guess what that she would be married off immediately or never allowed contact with the outside world again. She also new that her uncle would place the blame on Hugo Stiglitz also for allowing her to engage in activities that were forbidden to her. The only thing she could do now was attempt to convince Hugo otherwise.

"Please don't overreact. I'm sure they were just passing through. They seemed absolutely terrified by our presence." She attempted to replace the mistrust she laid between the two.

"Of course they were petrified by our presence. They knew they were discovered. Adele, you have to understand that this is for all your and your uncle's protection. You have to understand the fact that just because you don't mean them harm doesn't mean the feeling is mutual. They could be extremely dangerous with intensions to hurt you or your uncle. We cannot seize to take that seize, especially with you around." Hugo told her with affection smouldering his words even though his anger was submerging throughout his composure.

"Why should everything change now that I'm here?" She retorted angrily. She was tormented by the thought that the male society had about women. She despised the fact that Hugo and Hans Landa assumed that since she was a woman she needed to be watched over like a useless child.

"Because, I'm sure your uncle is not prepared to loose you to the war and neither am I!" He startled her with his angry tone.

Although his words were with the intentions of affections towards the girl, his tone was set for disaster. He wasn't surprised when she suddenly raised herself from the table with the expression of hurt pooling in her eyes.

"I'm not hungry anymore." She stated as she began to move away from the Sergeant's presence with anger.

"Adele, please, stop being so stubborn and childish." He asked with a slight tone of annoyance.

"I'm not being stubborn or childish; you're just being an asshole!" She exclaimed.

"Adele, stop!" He demanded as he caught a hold of her wrist to harshly pull her back to him.

"Stop that childish behaviour. You have to realise that you can't get everything you want and that includes saving Jewish families from Colonel Hans Landa's property." He attempted to desperately explain reality to the stubborn child.

She finally discovered that there was truth behind his words but she wouldn't care to admit that.

"You've got to learn, Adele, the world isn't going to react to your single touch. I know you would like to help but you shouldn't convince yourself that playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of Jews will have a positive outcome, especially with the presence of your uncle." She had to admit once again that he was right.

His grasp slowly uncoiled itself from her wrist. Adele's breath became unsteady as she struggled to understand this current situation. She unknowingly held her breath as Hugo's hand rested on the side of her cheek. His thumb gently rubbed tiny circles, attempting to calm her. She couldn't help but struggle to control her breathing.

"Can't you recognise the fact that I'm doing this with your safety in mind?" He asked her with softness.

Adele couldn't help but slowly push herself towards Hugo. When there was only an inch between the two, Adele noticed figure from her peripheral vision.

"What the hell is going on?" A voice bellowed with shock and anger.

Hugo jumped to attention, saluting the Colonel.

"I can see the two of you got extremely close while I left. I gave specific rules, Hugo." He said with a calm composer.

"Yes, sir." He bowed his head.

"It's not what you think, uncle. My temper was flared and Hugo was attempting to calm me down." Adele mumbled gently.

"Oh, I could see that. Furious with what?" He questioned.

She looked up at him before dropping her gaze. She could tell that Hugo was attempting to play on his words also.

"Furious with what?" He asked louder.

"I wandered in the forest yesterday and Hugo found me." She stated.

"And?" He pushed. He was good.

"I stumbled across a Jewish camp."

His gaze suddenly widened.

"Was there any Jews there?" He questioned.

She bit her lip.

"No, sir. It was recently abandoned but the fire was still hot indicating they only left moments before. They must have heard me." He told Hans.

"I see, I want an immediate patrol of the forest. I will be out in a moment to join the patrol." He turned his heel to make his way into the study only to stop moments later.

"And Sergeant, you're not on patrol in the barracks. I will appoint someone else to attend to Adele." He said without turning to face them.

"Yes, sir." Hugo complied.

Satisfied, Hans continued his journey into the study.

Hugo set a glance towards Adele that spoke a thousand words of grief. Once he exit the household, Adele was heard her uncle's voice from the study.

"Adele, come here."She sighed as she walked towards her uncle. She stood in front of him with a pleasant manor.

"He didn't..." He played on his words for a few moments until Adele realised what he wanted to know but couldn't phrase it.

"No." She retorted quickly, "We told you the honest truth, Hans." "Very well. I will believe you but if you're lying to me, I will discover quickly and you will lose my trust." He told her sternly.

"I understand but I'm not lying." "That's what I like to hear." He told her.

"Uncle, do you have to move Hugo into the barracks? He worked extremely difficult to keep me from trouble over the past two days and I assure you it didn't make it easy for him. He is the only person I am currently able to accept to watch over me." She tried her best to voice her opinion to the intimidating man.

"I suppose you do serve a good argument, Adele, but you have to understand it from my perspective. I do not need my niece fondling with a Sergeant when I have bigger prospects for you." Hans told her in a warning tone.

"I am not 'fondling' with Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz or anyone for that matter." She retorted back.

"You better not be, Adele. If I find out you are, there will be great consequences for you and the Sergeant. Do you understand?"

"I understand." She looked towards the floor to avoid eye contact.

"I will consider giving him another chance then if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"It definitely will, Hans."

He nodded his head in response and excused himself.

She found herself sitting in the study with a glass of whiskey she poured herself. She waited impatiently for her uncle to return with news of the captured Jews. She knew that he wouldn't disgrace his reputation by coming home empty-handed. It was a prediction that she was going to come home with a little extra information that he left the house with and Adele could only hope it wasn't information from Hugo. She brought the glass up to her lips again in thought.

She was so concentrated in thought that she didn't notice the cold draft flooding throughout the house. She finally snapped from her thoughts as she heard her uncle's boots harshly stamping the floor.

"I see you helped yourself to the whiskey." He told her.

"Yes."

He waltzed over towards her to only seat himself across from her - the seat that Hugo occupied for the past two days. He began to pour himself a glass, also.

"How did it go?" She asked curiously.

"I don't want to bother you with my career." He told her.

"I'm just asking." She sunk her head.

"Well, we found the camp. According to Hugo there was less equipment there than previously so they obviously came back to collect their belongings. So as Hugo suspected, you both definitely startled them to hide." He told her before taking a drink.

"I see."

She was desperate to know about Hugo now that he mentioned it but wouldn't dare to ask. Colonel Landa looked at her with curiosity before titling his head to smile slightly. Although he knew the answer to trouble expression, he would not dare to answer her question. He didn't feel the need to encourage her infatuation with one of his soldiers. She was also not naive; she knew that he was purposely avoiding the confrontation of mention Hugo. She had to admit, she was gaining an extremely good attribute from being in the constant presence of the Jew Hunter, she being to think like he would during a particular situation.

"How was the mission, by the way?" She asked changing the conversation and attempting to bring them closer some how.

The attempt to bring them together was also a hidden attempt to get close to Stiglitz. The more he comes to trust her, the more he began to trust her, the most flexible his commands will be.

"Successful." He admitted with a hidden grin.

"You found them?"

"Yes, there was only three but they're all successfully deceased."

She could only hum in response.

"May I be excused? I'm going to go to bed." She told him.

"As you wish."

When she was leaving, she didn't notice that Colonel Hans Landa's eyes were fixated on her. She was oblivious to the fact that he was planning a future for her that involved replacing Hugo Stiglitz with someone else.

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><p><em>I'm terribly sorry about how bleak this chapter is, I have a horrible writers block but still wanted to provide you all with something (: <em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

"Good morning." Her uncle smiled with a hint of malice.

"I can see it is for you." She responded with an exhausted expression.

"I can see you're not a morning person." Isolated laughter echoed throughout the dining hall.

"It doesn't take a detective to discover that one." She mumbled, cutting off his laughter.

He simply cleared his throat in response.

"Hungry?" He asked, changing the subject.

She nodded her head, decided against a sarcastic remark for once.

Landa immediately shouted for the frail Madam Neville. Adele could only take pity on the woman as she strained her abilities to please the Colonel. Once she was present, Adele quickly made her request for breakfast while encouraging the maid to move at a pace that was comfortable for her.

Adele yawned loudly.

"I thought you went to bed early last night?" Landa questioned.

"No matter how much sleep I gain I will still be tired." She lied, once again.

The truth was that Adele had troubles sleeping as her mind didn't rest. She couldn't help but think over and over again how her uncle became so bitter and merciless but still kept a mask of shameless delighter over it all. She also grew frustrated at the fact that her uncle seized to think that making her life even more miserable was productive.

"Apologies, Adele, but I'm currently waiting on an important telegram. You are excused to enjoy the day how you see fit." he told her with a mischievous grin that screamed deception.

After he left, she sat at the table, contemplating his actions. She wondered if he was toying with her like his Jewish victims by giving her false hope of freedom. For a moment, she almost caught herself contradicting her hypothesis that this was supposed to be her loving uncle who wouldn't dare to hurt her physically or psychologically. She laughed inertly at the thought of her uncle having remorse for anyone else but himself. He was a man who was possessed by his work and even brought his traits from his career into everyday life.

She sighed as she pushed around the eggs on her plate with the sterling silver. She contemplated for only a few minutes until her instinct took over and she decided to prepare herself for the day ahead. She pushed herself from her seated position to make her way upstairs. After she forced on clothing, she found herself hopping down the stairs impatiently. She whisked open the front door before making her way over to the barracks in a hurry. Once she looked inside, she noticed that it was completely empty. She figured that the Sergeants were possibly on patrol since the German Shepherds as well as the artillery were absent also. She made her way over to the cot that she noticed previously was Hugo's. She placed herself on the very edge of the cot, leaning against the wall. She pulled the pillow from its original resting position to place behind her back against the wall for comfort. Once she removed the pillow she noticed it was protecting a shielded knife and a worn book. She was mostly drawn towards the knife at first. Curious, she pulled it from the protective cover to glance at it freely. It was a thick silver colour with the words "meine ehre heisst treue" inscribed on the blade. Although she wasn't completely involved in the war, she noticed that this particular blade was an extremely common trait in the Nazi army. She pulled the blade back into the protective cover before turning her attention to the book. She couldn't help but allow curiosity take over her as she reached for the book. Once her fingers made contact with the hard leather, she felt it being pulled away from her. She looked up at the figure in front of her that she knew as Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz.

"You shouldn't be going through other people's business." He told her before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"I wasn't going to read it." She told him.

"I know you better than that." He laughed slightly before placing a cigarette between his lips.

"Is it your diary?" She teased.

"Not exactly. I just like to keep data on things." He confessed.

She hummed in response.

"May I have my knife before you hurt yourself with it?" He asked.

"It's in its cover." She retorted.

"Just in case." He turned towards her.

He accepted it from her without words of gratitude.

"My honour is loyalty." She rehearsed the words on the blade as he pulled the silver out to examine it for marks. "Do they give all Sergeants them?" She questioned.

"No, most of us gain rings."

"So, I'm guessing you heard from your uncle." It was a statement.

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

He stopped for a moment, in thought. He didn't want to break the truth to her so soon.

"That we're allowed contact once again, I suppose." He hesitated.

"Well, I'm assuming so. He didn't say I couldn't."

"But you decided to take the risk anyways? Brave." He smiled at her.

"It's worth it. Besides, he has to learn her can't control everything around me." She returned the gesture.

"But he can control everything around him." Hugo stated with a twist expression she couldn't understand.

"Not my choices. He may be able to manipulate people but not their actions." She stated confidently.

"You're wrong." He smiled, slightly.

"How so?" She questioned.

He ignored her question.

"What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you to entertain me for the day." She smiled sweetly.

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"By bringing me to the town." She grinned.

"If we're going to town, I'll need a few moments to regain my composure." He told her.

"I understand."

While Hugo Stiglitz attempted to make improvement to his uniform and appearance, Adele made her way to her uncle's study, in search for him. When she failed to find her uncle within the house, she decided to leave him a note about her absence. She quickly scrawled her explanation and placed it against near his favoured whiskey. Just as she opened the door to leave, she was greeted by a figure in front of her.

"You ready?" He asked.

She nodded her head as he circled the jeep's keys around his index finger. He walked around right-hand side of the car, opening the door for her as he passed it before walking around the back of the car to his side. She climbed into the right side of the jeep as they both slammed their doors in sync. He pushed the key into the ignition as they both sat in silence. Once Hugo started driving, he decided now would be the best time to gain her attention.

"Where are we heading?" He questioned.

"How about the town of Compiegne?" She questioned.

"You don't have to be so modest. We can go to Paris if you wish?" He questioned.

"I would love to go to Paris, but it takes too long to get there. Perhaps on another day?" She asked.

"If you wish." His jaw tensed.

"What would you like to do in Compiegne?" He pronounced the town's name with a horrible accent.

"I just mostly wanted to get out. It's nice to avoid my uncle from time to time." She offered a smile towards him before averting her attention to his belt.

"Is that much artillery necessary?" She questioned.

"You could never be too careful."

There was truth within that.

While they were breaking away from the forest scenery, Adele's attention was glued outside the window. She examined every feature that they passed with detail while Hugo's intense gaze was focused ahead.

"Don't get out much?" He questioned.

Although she believe that his attention was fixated on the journey, she didn't notice that he was subconsciously paying attention to her excited expression as they escaped further from her uncle's compound.

"I'm guessing you never noticed how trapped I was at home?" She almost spat the word 'home'.

"Point given."

For the next thirty minutes or so, they allowed themselves to sit in each other's comfortable silence until they arrived the village of Compiegne. Hugo slammed his door shut with an amused expression on his face as he watched the delight swarming Adele's eyes. He couldn't help stifle a laugh as she gazed at the village with a childish expression of exploration.

"Where do you want to go?" He questioned.

"For lunch, perhaps?" She beamed with delight.

Adele found it extremely amusing to watch Hugo's expression as he tortured himself as he attempted to understand French. While a woman offered Adele instructions to a small restaurant, Hugo stood beside them awkwardly in confusion. For a moment, Hugo became offended by the woman's constant glances at him as he wondered if they were discussing him until he noticed he was in uniform. He also noticed that the woman's glances were of fear as she directed to the blonde hair and blued eyed girl in front of him.

"Merci beaucoup. Au revoir." Adele dismissed her before turning her attention towards Hugo.

"This way." She told him with a gesture of her pointed finger.

They sat in silence while they ate across from each other. Adele noticed Hugo was lost in extreme thought as he almost glared at his lunch. She contemplated attempting to break him out of his concentration that seemed to be tearing him emotionally but she decided against it. She didn't want to become a bigger nuisance than usual. Hugo quickly snapped from his gaze of confusion to briefly look at her.

"What?" He questioned.

"Having an emotional battle with yourself?" She laughed.

"Oh, a little." He confessed.

She decided to drop the subject but his facial expression told her that he was struggling to continue it.

"There's something you must know."

The tone of his voice terrified her as her stomach turned cold.

"What is it?" She questioned eagerly.

His jaw was continuously tensing as if he was attempting to force the words from his mouth with no avail. His eyes moved downwards as he struggled to pull the words together in a fluvial manner.

"You don't have to tell me now, Hugo. You can always tell me later." She smiled warmly before placing her hand over his.

When her hand made contact with his, she noticed his hand jolt slightly.

"Oh, sorry." She said quickly before moving her hand away just as quick.

"It's okay." He sighed again.

"How about you just give some time and thought into it?" She offered.

He nodded his head in response while his eyes remained low.

Two hours later he still struggled with his wording pattern while they travelled home together in the jeep. Adele examined his features closely as he noticed his jaw tensing and released continuously. She also noticed that he didn't recognise she was staring at him while he was trapped deeply in his thoughts. It took a lot longer than expected to reach the Colonel's compound as darkness was beginning to sweep the property. Even thought the night was hitting the grounds, the figure of the Colonel was distinctively outlined by the reflection of the headlights. They both gulped loudly. They slowly pulled themselves from the car against their own decisions.

"Where did you go?" He asked calmly as they both stood in front of him.

"I left a note in your study; we went to the village of Compiegne." She responded in the same manner.

"Very well, then. I was just worried." He should no expression in his face.

"You have no reason to. Hugo was with me." She reassured him.

"I understand. After all, you two should spend as much time as possible together before you leave, isn't that right, Hugo?" Landa asked with malice.

Adele's eyes widened with shock as she looked towards Hugo. Hugo didn't bother to glance at her with reassurance as his eyes remained forward as his jaw tensed.

"Hugo?" She questioned for clarification even though she already knew the answer.

"You didn't tell her?" Landa laughed, "Well, I guess I saved you both trouble."

They both stood in silence.

"Come in when you're ready, Adele." Landa left with those words.

Once he was out of sight and out of mind, Hugo turned towards Adele. He avoided her gaze with his eyes glued to the floor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her eyes reflected a mass of emotions.

"I tried earlier." He looked extremely guilty.

"How long did you know?"

"Only from this morning. Your uncle drafted me this morning."

She remained silent as she now kept her gaze towards the floor. She didn't bother giving a response even though she felt it could have been productive. Instead, she decided the best proposal would be to return home to her uncle and possibly murder him. She turned her back to Hugo, pushing her feet from the floor as she began to walk away.

"If it was my decision, you'd know I'd stay..." Hugo voice echoed throughout the night sky.

Adele was frozen from the words. She couldn't decide if she should leave or stay.

"If it means anything; I promise I will come back and take you away from here once the war is over." He vowed.

"You shouldn't make promises you cannot keep." She turned to face him.

A foot lay between the two of them.

"Why do you think I won't keep it?" He looked up towards her.

"You will probably have forgotten about me and I will probably have been assigned a suitor by then." She told him.

He looked towards the floor. "Do you know who the suitor is?" He questioned.

She shook her head in response.

"I will find out." He told her for reassurance.

"I doubt my uncle will allow you to persuade him, Hugo." She shot his hope down.

"It's worth the chance." While taking a stride towards her.

"It's not worth the trouble though."

"I might as well. I have nothing more to lose." He told her while he caressed her cheek with his right hand.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into his show of affection. As she was lost in her abyss of perfection, she wasn't sure if it was Hugo's touch or the cold that forced her to shiver. While she was stuck in her dazed state she also refused to notice Hugo's breath lingering on her lips momentarily until he placed his lips against hers. She inhaled deeply by the sheer shock of the moment but persisted on pushing her lips against his also. Her hand moved to his waist, clutching gently at the fabric as he moved closer to her. She felt an array of delight explode throughout her as her breath began to lose its strength but she still wasn't prepared for his lips to leave hers. She opened her eyes while exhaling softly to witness a genuine smile on his face. He leaned his face closer to her once again but only to lean his forehead against hers.

"I've been waiting for that for a long time." He laughed slightly.

She couldn't help but feel a heartfelt smile enlighten her face.

"Now you're definitely not allowed to go to war." She stated in a serious tone.

He only laughed in response.

"Don't worry; I'll be back for you before you know it." He smiled while pushing himself away from her.

Without a word, he began walking towards the manor, gesturing for her to follow.

"What if I'm married?" She continued the previous conversation.

"Then I will kill him." He said in a serious tone as her face dropped.

"I'm only joking. Don't give me that look." He laughed.

"When will you be home?"

"When will you stop asking questions?" He joked.

"When you're gone, I suppose."

"I doubt that." He smirked.

"I will be returning in exactly two weeks, hopefully. I'm not supposed to be returning here but I will."

They stopped in front of the door and turn to face each other.

"That's a pretty big thing to lead me to believe, Hugo." She told him.

"I'm not leading you to believe anything because I'm stating the facts."

She smiled. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"The afternoon. They want us in Paris before midnight."

"So you have the whole day to spend with me?" She teased.

"Well, that depends on what time you manage to pull yourself out of bed." He smirked.

"I will try my best for it to be early."

He threw her a genuine smile before kissing her briefly.

"Sweet dreams."

He began walking back into the barracks as Adele allowed herself into the house. Once she closed the door, she couldn't help but use it for support. She smiled to herself and traced her lips. Despite her horrible uncle, she was now extremely delighted with her lifestyle.

"Adele, come here." Her uncle's voice echoed from the study.

She sighed deeply in annoyance as she paced to the study. The same phrase kept repeating throughout her mind that was telling her not to allow her uncle to destroy her good mood.

"What is it?" She asked politely once she was by his side.

"I assume Hugo explained his side of the story to you and now I believe it should be my turn to explain my side to you."

"I don't think that is necessary. I would just prefer to go to bed." She confessed.

"Just because you do not like the idea of it doesn't mean you can avoid it, Adele. I know you wish not to discuss it but I do. Now, sit." His tone was filled with authority.

She indiscreetly rolled her eyes in annoyance and threw herself into the chair.

"Now, you must obviously be looking for a reason as to why I sent Hugo to the frontline and the answer is simple. He was looking for bigger things in life and I believe I did him a favour. And to be completely honest, I do not like the idea of the Sergeant fondling around with my niece. Therefore, I thought I should kill two birds with one stone by giving myself a peace of mind while also doing him the favour of allowing him to pursuit his career. Don't you agree?" He also seemed confidant that he made the right decision somehow.

"No, I do not agree. Did you not consider for one moment that this might have been something I did not want to happen? Did you not consider the fact that you might have been hurting me in the process and it's completely unfair?" She found herself rising in anger.

"Do not raise your voice to me." He remained calm.

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want. I'm a grown woman!" She exclaimed before stomping towards the stairs.

"Adele, you come back here right this instant!"

"Blow me, asshole." She shouted as she slammed her bedroom door.

Although the door muffled the correct phrase she used, Landa could only imagine what she must have said. And he knew that it obviously not for the ears of children.


	6. Chapter 6

**Home Is Where The War Is. **

_Hey guys! I regret to inform you that updates will be extremely slow for a while considering the fact that I'm currently diving head first into my examinations and study is becoming extremely serious ): _

_I will try to squeeze in a few chapters during my exams and before I leave for the USA. Also, while I'm in America I will write the rest of the chapter on paper so they'll be good to go for when I come home ;] _

_Also, thank you to everyone who voiced their opinions through reviews and favourited my story. You are encouraging me to continue the story by allowing me to notice that people are enjoying my story!_

* * *

><p>Adele was able to pull herself from bed without ease for once. She was extremely anxious and eager for the day ahead. After she found herself satisfied with her appearance, she hopped down the stairs towards the dining room. She was frozen in place by the presence of Hans Landa. Even though he didn't bother to gaze from his newspaper to give her his attention, she was still extremely uneasy. She sat on the table as Landa completely ignored her presence. The frail Madam Neville struggled to pull herself into the dining room and quickly took Adele's request for the morning after placing a basket of pastries before her.<p>

"Seems like you're getting old, Neville. We might have to look into replacing you while we're looking for a new soldier." Landa's gaze remained on the paper as he attempted to push salt into Adele's wounds.

Although anger was building up within her, she decided towards ignoring his comment. Besides, the worst you could do to Landa would probably be to ignore his existence and career.

"Very well." Was all Madam Neville said sadly before disappearing into the kitchen to pass on her request.

Adele felt a fire burning up inside of her over her uncle's attitude as she struggled further to bite her tongue. She couldn't understand why he would enjoy being such a heartless old man.

Madam Neville returned to her presence with her breakfast before fleeing from the intense tension.

"Merci." Adele called out to the woman before she passed through to the kitchen.

Hans Landa sin front of her with a grin of victory as he flicked through the newspaper. He knew that he was irritating her even with his presence and he adored the tension. She ate quickly before grabbing two croissants and began to leave the dining hall.

"Going to see Hugo in his final moments, I'm guessing?" He laughed obnoxiously.

She continued walking as if she was unable to hear him. Before she left the room, she turned to close the dining hall doors to witness an unsatisfied look upon the Colonel's face.

She slammed the front door in impatience before running towards the barracks. She was delighted to witness Hugo waiting for her arrival in his cot. She began to approach him with a smile on her face as he stood to her attention.

"I was wondering when you were going to awake." He smirked.

"It's extremely early." She pointed out knowing that it was nine in the morning.

"Early for you." He commented.

That was true. She noticed that the barracks were completely empty except for herself and Hugo. In silence, they both sat on his cot as she held out the croissant, offering it to him.

"Thank you." He showed his gratitude before taking the croissant from her right hand.

She picked the croissant with her fingers while looking towards the floor.

"Do you think you would be able to visit me?" She questioned.

"I doubt it, Adele. We're being stationed in Paris for the first two days before being shipped off to the outskirts of Chaumont." His horrible French accent was in practice once again

"You didn't tell me about going there." She whispered.

"I didn't want to worry you."

There was silence.

"He has something planned. I know it. You must be careful while you're in Paris." She warned him.

"Don't worry, Adele. I will be able to protect myself. I'm more worried about you though."

"Now it's my turn to tell you not to worry. I'm surrounded by soldiers and the great, Hans Landa." She said in a mocking voice.

"That's what I'm worried about." He told her with a serious tone.

"I don't think Landa would go as far as to hurt me physically." She attempted to tell herself more than him.

"Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him. He is already going through great attempts to damage you emotionally."She remained silent, knowing that he was correct.

"I think I should teach you how to defend yourself." He thought.

"I know how to protect myself from a male." She stated.

His eyes widened. "That's just unfair."

She laughed a little at his reaction. "Well, it's the most efficient. You must admit that."

He nodded his head slowly. "I suppose. But nonetheless, just in case you get into serious trouble, I think you should learn to shoot."

Her eyes lightened. She's always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun but no one was willing to teach her.

"Since I won't be there to protect you, I should at least give myself a peace of mind knowing that you will be okay in some sense."

"Given. So, you should teach me how to shoot." She said almost too excitedly.

"On second thought, I think that might be a bad idea." He laughed.

"I'm not going to accidentally shoot myself or something." She mumbled stubbornly.

"Well, now that you put that into consideration I believe that it would be a horrible idea to allow you to possess a firearm." He teased.

"I promise not to shoot myself or you now for that matter." She grumbled.

He simply laughed full-heartedly in response.

"Come on so, I'll teach you." He stated while standing up.

She couldn't help but jumping from him cot in excitement. He quickly grabbed a handgun from the personal footlocker at the end of the bed that contained mostly artillery. He skimmed his eyes throughout the collection before deciding on the handgun, Mauser C-96. Satisfied he loaded the handgun before walking towards her.

"I believe this would be the best. It has little recoil and is easy to shoot." He told her.

He began to walk away from the barracks and she followed him.

"Nothing bigger?" She pressed.

"Nothing bigger." He clarified.

"Unfair." She sighed.

"It's not unfair, you're expectations are just too high." He told her the truth.

"I don't have high expectations." She huffed.

"Yes, you do."

"I settled with you, didn't I? Therefore, I don't have high expectations at all." She laughed.

"That was just harsh." He looked slightly shocked.

"Here." He announced.

"Is this not too close to the lot? Wouldn't Landa hear?" She questioned, curiously.

"Who cares what he thinks. Besides, his head is so far up his own that he might not hear the gun firing." Hugo stated.

She laughed loudly. "That is very true."

She stopped for a moment.

"We can definitely fake your own death." She seemed serious.

Hugo looked towards her with a questioning glance before laughing.

"You are being serious?"

She dropped her eyes to the floor. "I think it's a great idea."

"You have to consider how complicated it is." He laughed.

"I suppose."

"Now, come here." He instructed.

She complied his request by moving towards his side. He pulled his arm around her waist, making her heart race uncontrollably. He then pulled her towards him, pressing her back firmly against him. He held up the gun for her and she took it into her hands. He then quickly repositioned his fingers and placed his hands over hers to prevent her damage from the recoil. She looked up towards him for reassurance and he nodded his head down to her with a firm expression of concentration.

"Just inhale while you're shooting and keep your arms firm and then you'll be fine." He promised her.

"Okay." She said in a whisper.

She pulled her hand over the trigger, squeezing against the pressure. Once she nearly completed pulling the trigger completely, she could only push her eyelids together as the gun jumped backwards only slightly. She secretly thanked the aid of Hugo.

"That wasn't so difficult now was it?" He whispered in her ear with humour.

She opened her eyes to reveal her arms intact. She smiled at her success.

"Ready to do it again?" He pushed her confidence.

Without warning she squeezed the trigger once again while watching the gun jump. Hugo jumped slightly while she laughed with delight, only to do it once more.

"A little preparation would be nice. Would you like to try it alone?" He asked her.

She nodded her head eagerly. Once he let go, she found herself doubting her abilities. She glanced towards Hugo who encouraged her with a firm and confident nod. She looked down the line of the firearm once again while her hands begin shake as she put pressure on the trigger. She squeezed the trigger until it clinked the metal lightly underneath the boom of the gun that caused her arms jolted backwards violently. Shocked, she looked towards Hugo with shock plastered in her eyes. He could only laugh at her shocked expression as she shook out the pain from the recoil out her arms.

"A rush, isn't it?" He questioned while he reminisced on his first gun shoot.

She nodded her head while excitement.

"Do you like the Mauser C-96?" He asked her.

"Very much so."

"Then consider it yours." He offered.

"Really?" She asked with excitement.

"Yes, of course." She smiled while he began to approach her.

He pulled out two extra magazines from his uniform's pocket and handed them to her.

"Make sure you use it, wisely and no foolishly, Adele." He warned.

"I promise." She beamed a smile towards him.

He couldn't help but find her smile contagious as he found her smile reaching his face also. He couldn't help but lean towards her to capture her lips within his. He quickly pulled away as Adele begged for more as her face was almost dragged as he pulled away.

"Come on, I know somewhere we can go." He offered as she hopped beside him.

While they were walking side-by-side, Hugo pulled her tiny hand into his and pulled her ahead gently. Her heart began to thump lightly with the contact. He pulled her into a clearing with flat grass. Once he found a placement that he was comfortable with he pulled her to the grass with him. They sat themselves on the floor together, only half a foot apart with a silence attached.

"Can I write to you?" He questioned.

"I was assuming you would." She laughed lightly.

"Only if you're okay with it."

"You're too modest. Of course I'm okay with it."

He smiled towards her in response. He placed his arms behind his torso to support himself while she placed herself against Hugo's shoulder.

"I will have to write to you first because obviously I will be moving a lot to unknown places." He told her.

"Of course. I'm going to be extremely bored while you're gone." She admitted.

"Well, you could contemplate ways on escaping your uncle." He laughed.

She considered the suggestion as if he was serious.

"If I did that then you wouldn't be able to find me." She told him.

"I suppose you have a point. What if you move?" He questioned nervously.

"I doubt we'd be moving."

"I'm just saying, I think we should discuss this issue. It's not like you're uncle would give you notice to prepare to tell me." She had to admit, he was right.

"I doubt that would happen, Hugo."

"But if it does, you're to leave something behind here to direct me to you." He instructed.

"I suppose."

"Leave something here." He finished.

"Okay." She rolled her eyes at how cautious he was.

"Although it is probably extremely unnecessary, it would give me a peace of mind. The last thing I need it to be worrying about you twice as much." He told her.

"Okay." She agreed even though she still found it extremely unorthodox.

He looked at his watch, sighing.

"Isn't it horrible thinking that we only have a few more hours together?" She broke through the silence.

"I don't think it's horrible because we will be seeing each other soon afterwards."

"Hopefully." "No, we definitely will." He promised her.

"Hopefully." She repeated.

"You need to learn that everything will go according to plan."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, I'm in control." He stated with confidence. She had to admit, that Hugo did seem like the kind of guy that made everything go according to his thoughts. She had to admit, it was also true.

"You shouldn't be worrying about these things." He warned her.

"Then I would have nothing else to do." She offered a smile.

He smirked while exhaling with humour lingering on his breath. He pulled her towards her while leaning towards her. Adele couldn't help but ignore the rest of the world around her now. No longer was her mind interested in the war, her uncle or Hugo leaving anymore because as of now, it was only concentrated Hugo and his touch that froze her thoughts. She could only think of how warm his lips were compared to hers and the fact that his breath was a strong mix of whiskey and cigarettes. He flinched slightly as his cold right hand rested on the back of his bare neck. His responsiveness to the touch caused Adele to smile into him as she placed her other hand on his right forearm. After only a few moments Hugo unwillingly pulled himself away from her.

"Adele, I should be heading back to camp." He confessed.

"Why?" She didn't attempt to hide that her tone was filled with sadness.

"I have to start packing." He told her.

"Can I help?" She offered.

"You mean by sitting on the bed while watching me?" He laughed, "Of course you can."

He pulled himself from the ground before looking towards Adele, extending his reach towards her. She gratefully took his hand before he pulled her from the floor to place her by his side.

"Thank you."

He simply smiled in response as he began to walk towards the compound with Adele firmly glued to his side. With every step she took, she was desperately trying to break the comfortable silence. Although she did feel like it wasn't necessary to fill the comfortable silence (remind you of another Tarantino movie? ;D), she just felt like she should make some attempt to continue the conversation since he was leaving so soon. Her heart clenched once again at the thought of him leaving while he acted as if he wasn't. She couldn't ignore the sinking feeling her heart felt every time she began to think of the countless days without waking up to his presence. She couldn't but help blame it all on the war. But then again, she couldn't ignore the fact that if it wasn't for the war, him enlisting as a German soldier and for her mother's death that she wouldn't be in his presence at that moment. Even though it was selfish and horrible, she was somewhat grateful of the silver lining.

She quickly found herself in front of the barracks that she would no longer be attending after Hugo's absence. They silently moved towards his quarters as she placed herself on his cot. He pulled out a duffle bag to only flip open his personal foot locker at the end of the bed. He began to pull out items and carelessly through them inside the bag. After he left his footlocker completely bare, he turned his attention towards Adele.

"Do you think you could fit in this bag?" He joked.

She laughed in response.

"I wish."

While smiling, he pulled his hand underneath the sanctuary of his pillow to pull out his knife and securely fastened it to his belt. He once again, he leaned over Adele to place his hand underneath the pillow to only pull out his journal. He looked at it for a moment.

"Would you like some reading material while I'm gone?" He questioned.

"Wouldn't that be an invasion of privacy?"

"Well, you already know how I feel about you so not necessarily."

"Is that all it's about?" She laughed slightly.

"Mostly." He confessed. "I thought it would keep you entertained."

She nodded before taking the journal with a smile.

"A journal and a Mauser C-96 all in one day? I'm a very lucky girl." She laughed and he joined in slightly.

"I guess you could call it that."

He continued to pack his clothing before he was enlisted and a few other useless pieces. Her heart ran cold when she heard the sound of a jeep echoing throughout the compound. He groaned and looked towards her.

"I have to go." He sighed.

"I noticed." She didn't pretend to hide her feelings.

She stood up to walk towards the exit of the barracks by Hugo's side. They stopped before the back of the trunk that reversed into the area. She looked towards him as her eyes reflected how she was feeling. He cupped her right cheek with his large hand.

"I will be coming back to you soon."

She nodded her head as he moved closer towards her. She closed her eyes, pushing tears down her face as he kissed her softly. The jeep beeped obnoxiously, snatching her away from her moment with Hugo. He leaned his forehead against her.

"I will miss you, everyday." He promised her before pulling his thumbs across her cheeks.

With a final kiss to her forehead, she was running towards the jeep. She hugged his journal to her chest as he pulled himself into the jeep to wave her goodbye. She forced her right hand to wave to him. She remained her position as she watched the jeep's lights disappear into the darkness of the forest. Feeling like there was nothing else to entertain her for the night she pulled herself up the stairs towards her bedroom. She closed the door quietly before pulling out the draw of her bedside locker. Confused, she pulled her hand into the back of the drawer to realise that the letter from her mother was absent. She snarled lightly, knowing Landa took it from her. She decided that a more strategic hiding place was in order as she began to look around her wardrobe for a hidden spot. Once that failed, she turned her attention towards the floor for easy moved planks of wood. She began walking on the floor slowly, pushing all her weight onto the planks, putting pressure on them. Once she found a plank that creaked underneath her force, she fell to her hands and knees, attempting to claw at the wood. She was soon to notice that it was a failure of an idea but reconciled the fact that she would be able to move it easily if she had something to loosen the old, rusty nails. She figured that now would be extremely suspicious to be rooting around the manor for construction tools so she decided to rest for a temporary hiding place as she tucked the two possessions from Hugo between a slack of clothing. She decided that even though her uncle was an extremely devious man, he wouldn't sink as low as to slither into her room during her slumber to pry throughout her belongings. Especially clothing since that would be extremely weird and slightly awkward.


	7. Chapter 7

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Hey everyone! I'm deeply sorry for the delay but I was in the United States for a few weeks. Unfortunately, I wish I never left. I envy every person that is a resident in the United States of America. I hope you know how lucky you are if you're living in the States.): _

Adele crept like a thief through the darkness as she scoped throughout the hallway for signs of her uncle. She couldn't bare the thoughts of running into his intimidating presence for just one day. She squeezed her eyes closed as she placed her hands on the door handle. She released a nervous exhale while unlocking the door as she lifted her eyelids slowly to reveal her baby blues. Her left hand hooked behind the door as she prevented the old age of the door from creaking. She poked her head through the slight gap made as her eyes scanned the room with anxiety. She exhaled with relief as she noticed that the room was completely empty except for the fragile, old maid who was struggling to pull empty cutlery from the mahogany table.

Adele released her tense grip on the door and allowed it to creek in protest. Madam Neville jumped in surprise and whipped her head towards the door. Her face relaxed once she noticed that it was Adele's presence that momentarily paralysed her in fear.

"Adele, you scared me." She whispered in her antique, French accent.

"I apologise, Madam Neville."

"Would you like some lunch?" She questioned while she continued to attempt lifting the heavy china.

"Lunch? It's already past noon?" Adele questioned, slightly surprised.

"Yes, Madam. You managed to sleep late today. Please, ignore me and make yourself comfortable." She motioned towards the dining table.

"Thank you very much." She accepted her offer.

"What would you like this afternoon?" She questioned.

"May I just have something small, perhaps?"

"Of course. Would you like me to surprise you?" Madam Neville's eyes were alight with humour.

"Yes, please."

There was a moment of silence between the two before Madam Neville left the room to gather Adele's lunch. Upon arrive; Adele couldn't hold her curiosity any longer.

"Madam, where is my uncle?" She questioned sweetly as Madam Neville placed her lunch before her from the silver tray.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Your welcome. I believe he had to go to Paris for some sort of business." She was vague and Adele did not appreciate that.

"What type of business, do you know?"

Madam Neville lowered the orange juice she was pouring for Adele and looked at her seriously.

"Madam, I hope you understand that I could get into trouble by allowing you to know where and what your uncle is doing if I knew." She warned.

It was the only time she was ever serious towards Adele.

"I understand. But I hope _you_ understand that I would definitely not approach my uncle with conversations you've overheard from him." Adele replied respectively.

"I understand, Madam. But I am being honest; I'm completely unaware about the location and business of your uncle. He just told me this morning that he was absent due to 'business in Paris city'." She told Adele truthfully.

"I see. Do you know how long he would be absent?" She questioned as she began to eat her breakfast slowly.

"He said perhaps late tonight or tomorrow morning. Although, I'm unaware of the rest." She dismissed herself with a nod before exiting the room into the kitchen.

Adele moved her eyes towards her food as she began to push it around aimlessly with occasionally adding something to her mouth. She began to think of last night and how she was determined to find a space free from her uncle's rules to invade everybody's privacy. She began to think about tools to help her to find a place of her own as she dug the silver fork into a pastry. She pried the silver from the pastry with an idea. She began to test the flexibility of the silver while realising that it was probably a bad idea. She began to pull herself from the table in search for proper tools as Madam Neville entered the room once again.

"You barely touched your food, Madam. Are you okay?" She questioned with curiosity as she struggled to lift the china with her frail, shaking fingers.

"Yes, thank you for asking. Actually, I was just in a hurry as I was contemplating something. Madam Adele, I was wondering if there was anybody who could escort me towards town." She questioned.

"May I ask why you would have to go to town?" She questioned.

"I would like to collect some basic hardware tools within the household that would allow me to repair something within my room." She lied.

"I believe we may have some already but if they're not to your liking then I suppose you could ask one of the staff sergeants from the barracks for assistance."

"Do you have any tools around the household that I could borrow?" Adele pressed.

"Of course, Madam. I will bring them up to your bedroom momentarily."

Adele thanked the woman for her efforts as she began to move her way upstairs. She moved her belongings within her wardrobe to search for her hidden possessions. Just as she closed the wardrobe door shut, she heard three defined knocks on the door before Adele welcomed them into her bedroom.

"Excuse Madam, this is all we have." The woman seemed exhausted from pushing herself up the flight of stairs.

"Thank you." Adele attempted to dismiss her.

"Without being rude, Madam, what needs fixing?" The maid questioned.

"Oh, the bedside locker." She was being slightly rude in response to the maid's nosey questions.

"I see. I better get back to work. Be careful."

Adele dismissed her once again with a quiet thank you and once the door clicked shut, Adele began to pull throughout the tools within the rusted box.

Only after twenty minutes, Adele was placing the board back into its rightful place as she hid her private belongings from her possessive uncle. She placed the tools back into the box before returning them to Madam Neville.

After much analysis and after Adele swallowing her pride, she found herself dragging her feet towards the barracks with she would usually enter under Hugo's permission. She found herself outside the structure, only able to stare inside at the empty space which used to occupy Hugo Stiglitz. She sighed in agony as her eyes fell to the floor.

"May I help you, Madam?" A voice asked.

She looked towards the sound to see a soldier sitting on his cot as he struggled to shave his chin with a blunted razor and broken mirror shard.

"Um, I was wondering if I may ask for you help?"

"Although I am no longer underneath the command of Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz, I am still a dear friend of his and he ordered me to care to your needs." The soldier looked towards Adele with a rough expression.

"So, you may ask what you wish of me." His facial features that were previously carved from stone softened to reveal a generous gentleman.

Adele exhaled the tense breath she didn't notice she was holding.

"I was wondering if you could do this for me in complete privacy?" She questioned.

"From the Colonel, I presume?" He questioned.

"Yes. I would like that."

"Of course." He reassured her.

"Could you bring me into the village?" She questioned.

"May I at least know what for?" Humour played on his lips.

"To search for mail."

"Madam, Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz only left last night. I doubt he had the time to write you mail." He told her softly to avoid emotional damage to the younger woman before him.

"I understand but I am still curious." She begged.

"Well, Madam, we have to go to the village every early afternoon to collect the Colonel's mail as well as our necessities. So, it would be no problem for another soldier or me to collect your mail for you if you wish." He offered.

"I would appreciate it if it was only you that collected the mail."

"I understand completely. I presume that you wish I was the only person who is aware of this also?" He questioned.

"Correct."

"As you wish, Madam."

"You may call me Adele if you wish." She offered.

"I'm Christoph."

She nodded her head in response to allow a silence fall between the two.

"I'm sorry about getting you into trouble with Hugo." She apologised.

"It's no problem, Adele. He wasn't too much of a hard-ass towards me anyway." He reassured her.

She smiled in response.

She waited extremely patiently throughout the day as she waited for the arrival of the soldier with possible news. Adele knew that the hopes of receiving a letter from Hugo were extremely naive but she couldn't help but hope for the best. She couldn't deny the fact that even though she attempted to ignore it continuously, she couldn't help but keep one section of her mind constantly focused on his safety and his whereabouts.

She pulled herself from her thoughts once she heard the loud rumbling from the jeep as he scrawled its way across the loose gravel on the driveway. Adele jumped from the bed, filled with anxiety, as she almost leaped towards the window to gaze through the glass. Her face was enlightened as she noticed the soldier, Christoph, pulling himself out of the van. Adele focused on the soldier as she began searching for a white slip of paper that she was so eager to gain. She noticed as Christoph scanning the household for the presence of Adele. His eyes double scanned her window until he made out her dark figure behind the glass. He waved towards her before shrugging his shoulders with disappointment. The disappointment suddenly crept throughout Adele as she felt herself sink underneath her shoulders. She couldn't help but feel the sinking depths of disappointment when she noticed that Christoph was telling the truth about the absent letter as he walked towards the soldier's barracks. She decided to move position as well as she sat on the side of the bed. She couldn't help but wonder if she would have enough time to search throughout Hugo's diary entries before her uncle came home. Once again she peered through the window to search for life throughout the trees. She couldn't help but only notice the sky's darkness now. She searched the grounds, between the darkness of the trees for indication of movement. When she was satisfied that the forest was deserted, specifically absent of her uncle's presence, she moved to the centre of the room before dropping to her knees. She fumbled with the plank of wood before pulling the piece from the floorboard. She placed her hand into the dark abyss to pull out a tattered, old journal that was held shut by a piece of dark string. Without replacing the plank of wood, Adele jumped onto the bed, rolling onto her stomach, to fumble with the piece of string. Even though she found it extremely strange to look through someone else's personal writings, even with their permission. Even though she was mentally battling with her judgement between right and wrong, she still couldn't help but pull the string from the journal as she hoped to push herself into the thoughts of Hugo and gain insight into his lifestyle. She pulled the tattered leather from the front cover to reveal his initials inside the journal. She focused her attention to the opening page to the journal and noticed the date was two months before her arrival to the manor and how rushed his words seemed to be.

_19th March_

_Today I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that I should write my own thoughts in a personal journal. I thought it would be a useful idea for two reasons; to be able to keep myself falling into sanity by reminding myself the harshness of the war and to keep a record of my lifestyle for the benefit of my family in case I'm never able to return to Berlin so that the people I love would be able to gain an insight into my deepest thoughts. _

_In my first few moments on the manor, I was introduced to my superior, Colonel Hans Landa. While I was working my way throughout the ranks in the army, I've continuously heard how powerful his appearance is and they were right. Within twenty minutes of being on the manor's grounds I was immediately put in charge of a small staff of soldiers and demanded to sweep patrols of the forest's grounds ever morning and afternoon. I could tell that Colonel Landa was an extremely paranoid man as he inspected all our backgrounds thoroughly and demanded two patrols through the day. Considering that it was afternoon, we were already covering one patrol throughout the forest where we managed to find a small area that was recently abandoned. Once we reported to Colonel Landa, he was nothing but precise on the details as he strived to know everything we saw. _

_Honestly, the man tends to keep me feeling uneasy with his authority and how he pushes for perfection. I know that this is seen as the ideal opportunity to gain a higher rank in the military but somehow now I'm regretting taking on this decision to become this Colonel's personal babysitter especially with his needless demands but then again, I didn't have much of a choice. The only thing that helps making the days grow shorter is the excitement I feel when I consider the fact that I may be drafted soon._

Adele couldn't help but be shocked by his barely used sense of well-formed speech. She felt his pain of coming to a new, distant surrounding with the presence of her uncle lurking nearby. She sighed in contempt as she closed the book completely after deciding it was enough for one night already.


	8. Chapter 8

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Hello my lovelies. I do apologise for the delay in my update, things have just been extremely hectic lately as I'm attempting my best to plan a visit to the US once again as well as applying for colleges and a job. Of course I need money to be able to keep up my extremely expensive double life in America. _

_As well, I usually have a rule where I will not upload a story that is under two thousand words considering that I usually have you all waiting for updates for a while. Therefore, it takes me a while to be able to come up with ideas to fill the quota needed ;P_

_This chapter is quite slow indeed but don't you worry my babies, the next one will be an improvement when I get around to it(:_

_Also, I've gotten my results from my examinations last week. Looks like I'm going to be a Biomedical Scientist! I was so excited that I managed to get the grades for it that I cried :'D. I do consider myself extremely lucky at this moment in time. So I decided to rub my good vibe off on this story. _

_Review your thoughts(: _

Adele found herself obsessed with the idea of sharing an insight into Hugo's thoughts and everyday activities. She couldn't help her leg bouncing against the floor as she struggled to eat her breakfast expressionlessly in front of her sceptical uncle. She pushed her crepes around the china, slightly scraping the fork against the porcelain, as she tried to allow Hugo's thoughts to engulf her completely. She couldn't help but think how accurate her lover's first impression of her uncle was. She looked through the fallen hair over her eyes to share a glance with her uncle. Almost as if he was able to read her mind, he glanced up from his daily morning paper to connect his eyes with her.

"Can I help you with something?" He smiled smugly.

"No." Was her simple response.

He hummed slightly before his attention was captured again by the newspaper with all the latest articles. Adele could feel herself silently sneering at her feared uncle before dropping her eyes to the assorted china of food once again. She picked around the last few shards of pastry before attempting to excuse herself. Without hesitation she jumped from the chair and made her way towards her room. She nervously looked behind her before turning the handle to her bedroom door.

Once inside, she clawed at the bedroom floor before pulling the tattered leather journal out from its hiding place. She wiped the debris from the front of the journal that formed by resting from the night before. She placed the plank back into place before jumping on the bed with excitement, rolling onto her stomach. She flipped open the journal only to find her way to the second page.

_29th March _

_Although I'm trying my best to vent my thoughts into words through this journal I'm finding it difficult to find the time of day to be able to write my memoirs. Since I've been here I've been extremely busy with training new recruits for the benefit of the Colonel's safety as well as keeping up with my own demands on a day-to-day basis. The Colonel has definitely not hesitated to keep us on our toes. Just yesterday I discovered that we have to keep our personal belongings hidden as the Colonel managed to find a journal belonging to another officer and he was punished harshly for writing his own personal thoughts about the Colonel inside the journal. I believe that freedom of speech is completely unfair considering the fact that the officer is now facing a contemplating immediate dispatch. I felt sorry for the young officer, Christoph, as he was terrified. It was his first step in climbing the ranks to the Reich after being drafted from his mother and girlfriend back home. Being under this much pressure into secrecy makes me wonder if I would be even able to send letters to my family home without the invasion of my privacy. I advised the officers that it would be best if we personally collected our own mail from town inside of allowing the Colonel to do it for us in case he reads our letters in suspicion. I believe that the Colonel may trust me over the other soldiers though since he's been placing into the position of his personal information and escort until he finds a replacement. The Colonel told me about the arrival of his young niece within the next month or so for her protection and because of a family emergency. I already pity the young woman for having to live with the monster her uncle is._

Adele swallowed the lump forming in her throat over Hugo's brief and precise wording. She rested her eyes over 'family emergency', appalled at her uncle would claim her mother's illness as an emergency. She scoffed at his remark before turning the next page of the journal, curious of her new findings.

_17th April _

_Over being stuck on this establishment, I could feel myself growing colder and colder every single day. Although I try to ignore it, it keeps creeping up on me that my sense of humour and thoughts of ambition are completely abyss. I discovered this when I encountered a Jewish mother five miles outside of the manor's borders. While she begged for her life, I found it extremely easy to continue to pull the trigger. Without feeling regret, I expected to feel satisfaction but that feeling was absent also. I couldn't help but feel nothing as I looked upon her before I ended her life abruptly. Although I knew that if the same fate was returned to me, unlike her; I would not show expression or seize a death of shame with plea. When I returned the Colonel was delighted to find that I've dragged a lifeless, Jewish woman with me. I couldn't help but feel the instant surge of pride when he praised me in front of the other soldiers for my findings but as always, pushed for more information. His questions seemed endless as he kept a calm composure, even though I knew he was paranoid. _

_4th May_

_The Colonel was calling an extremely long search today before the arrival of his niece, Adele. He claimed it was for her protection even though we could all recognise that he was more worried about himself. I watched from outside the barracks as a jeep pulled up early in the morning. Once she stepped out, she immediately caught the attention of all the other soldiers while her uncle pulled her away from the attention. Even from a distance you could tell she was beautiful and everyone else recognised that also. Although the others gawked at her with a stupid expression, I was the only soldier to be reminded to stay professional. I couldn't help but sneer slightly when the Colonel pulled a false persona to make himself seem pleasant to the young woman. Although I thought this young woman, Adele, was beautiful, I still didn't allow her to phase me completely as I kept myself completely focused on my lifestyle right now. Even when I was delivering her bags to her bedroom, I ignored her presence even though it was slightly harsh. I decided that because she was the Colonel's niece I would have to still keep my professional persona as I kept my conversation brief and to the point. I could tell that the Colonel had no intensions to keep the girl entertained while she stayed her or neither did he care of her appearance. He was probably just interested if she stayed away from her business as well as everyone else. _

She smiled to herself once she noticed how observant Hugo was. She never noticed that he would have been so insightful.

_6th May_

_The past two days with the girl have been extremely stressful and hectic and I couldn't deny that. Two days ago, the Colonel left for emergency business putting me in charge with the young woman, Adele. I couldn't deny the fact that even though she seemed like an innocent task, she proved to be the opposite. She was extremely demanding and stubborn. I couldn't help but allow myself to feel extremely stressed within her presence as she demanded to explore continuously. I understand that it's a new area for her and she may be excited but I would prefer if she didn't get injured within my presence because I would get the punishment that came free with allowing danger to the Colonel's niece. Although the girl seemed completely obnoxious, I couldn't help but feel warmth towards her, especially tonight. While I was sitting in the drawing room with her, I couldn't help but feel something perfect between us. Almost like it was a perfect moment. Maybe it was because she wasn't completely irritating or perhaps there may be something between us after all._

A huge smile emitted throughout her face despite his occasional harsh words on her behalf but she could reconcile the fact that she was extremely stubborn and difficult to work with while she was in the presence of Hugo on the first few days.

_10th May_

_I've been told today by my superior that I would be soon be drafted into the war. I was to be there to capture and torture the Jews for further information. When I heard about this forceful proposition, the first thing that came to my mind was not the opportunity I was given but instead it was Adele. I have become quite infatuated with this young girl and she has shown me the right and wrong in life. Thanks to her loving nature I have discovered that my choice in the war was definitely nothing short of a bad idea. I have now discovered that I have found something greater than my own life and I should preserve that. I wish I never enlisted in the Reich but then again, if I didn't enlist then I wouldn't even know her existence. An eye for an eye, I suppose. _

_Over the last couple of days we've managed to grow quite close indeed, therefore I'm dreading on telling her the news that I was drafted by her uncle. It was obvious why he placed me into this line of employment - to separate Adele and I. I've never noticed he was this cold. I could not believe the spiteful smirk he wore on his face while he waited for my answer to the proposition which was not a flexible answer. He smiled as if he knew what he was doing and I believe he did it completely intentionally. Only a cold hearted monster would attempt to pull me a part from my love. I will definitely surprise him with my intentions when I come to take Adele from him._

She read most sentences over as if he had written a riddle. She found it extremely difficult to be able to understand his intentions.

She couldn't help but pull herself into more but the sound of a jeep crashing over rocks caught her attention. Startled, she wondering if it was her uncle leaving the manor for the day without telling her - once again. She rushed to the window with curiosity to notice that there was jeep entering the manor. She watched carefully as the jeep came to a halt before Christoph pulled himself out of the driver's seat of the monstrosity of metal. She noticed him reaching into his jacket after slamming the door shut while looking towards the direction of Adele's window. She held her breath as she noticed him waving a white envelope over his head. She couldn't help but let out a small squeal of delight as she shoved the journal underneath her pillow before slapping her feet on each step. She ignored her uncle's confused expression from the drawing room as she slammed the door behind her. She practically ran towards the barracks to find Christoph sitting on his cot, pulling at pieces of paper that she assumed was his mail.

"Good afternoon, Christoph, I hope you have something for me." She smiled with humour.

"Of course. It's a letter." He motioned to the letter beside him.

"From Hugo?" She beamed.

"I'm not sure, I presume so."

"Thank you so much, Christoph!" She exclaimed.

Almost like lightening, she ran toward the house, almost pulling the door off the hinges to gain entry while receiving an odd look from Madam Neville from the kitchen door over the commotion. Once upstairs, she jumped onto her bed while pulling the letter open with delight. She ripped the envelope to reveal a sheet of paper within. She eagerly pulled the paper from its resting place while folding it over to read.

_Adele,_

_I know that it hasn't been that long but I couldn't resist from writing to you so soon. Since I left, I couldn't help but think that this was the right idea - even though it was forced upon me - for my career opportunity but since I've been drafted, I've discovered that this was a horrible idea. Not only am I missing you horribly as every moment moves forward, I'm also discovering that this is not the correct establishment for me. I have noticed that you were right, Adele, and that this system is corrupt and wrong. Everyday when I hunt for Jews under the Fuhrer, I can't help but feel guilty as I know that fighting against the Jewish community should not be a part of my lifestyle. Therefore, I owe you a deep apology. You were right. _

_Please do not feel detached that I did not send an address with the letter, I believe that I'll be moving around too much for you to be able to contact me and also I'm beginning to worry about your safety especially now, considering that I seem to be locked in a world filled with enemies. _

_All that I ask is that you will keep yourself safe for the benefit of me. Even though I won't know about your current status, I know that you will do as I ask for the both of us. I hope that you understand. _

_Love, always,_

_Hugo._

Adele exhaled deeply with a shaken tone attached. She couldn't help but grunt in annoyance afterwards since she was unable to contact him to allow him to know how she was feeling; being trapped between four walls with her horrid uncle, how she was safe and worried about him. She was also irritated that she wasn't able to press for more information about how he was feeling or where he was going. She sighed as she placed the letter away, hiding it from her uncle. She sighed as she knew this would be her fate, hiding her private lifestyle from the Jew Hunter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_I know this is slightly short but then again, two updates in one day? Wahey! Also, it's so short because it fits in with the plot. Loving you all(:_

_**Reviews to show you care(: Even if it's just to say you hate my story. :P**_

Three days have passed since Adele received her first and last letter from Hugo. She spent the days waiting by the window for another letter to appear from the abyss of Christoph's standard jacket. Every time he pulled himself out of the truck, she would sigh in contempt while he shrugged his shoulders.

"He couldn't be dead." Christoph stated without emotion as he sharpened his knife with a cigarette hanging from the side of his mouth.

She watched as he attempted to blink away the smoke from his eyes while he pulled the knife vigorously downwards as he exhaled from his cigarette before continuing.

"If he was dead, they would send a letter to you, confirming you of his death, I presume."

"How would they know to send a letter to me?" Adele questioned.

"I assume that he has you listed to his General as well as his family." His answers were so obvious, but not to Adele.

She replayed the brief conversation continuously drifted into her thoughts when she would often worry about the 'disappearance' of Hugo. She sighed once again as Christoph confirmed her predicted thoughts and shrugged his shoulders without feeling once feeling. She slowly moved away from the window, feeling the world crash further upon her shoulders. She continued the rest of her daily routine by aimlessly flicking throughout the previously read diary entries by her lover, Hugo. She would read over her favourite entry from the tenth of May where he dreaded from leaving her with her uncle.

She timidly pushed against the mahogany door that now felt like a tonne under the pressure. She peered into the door to find the room was alone. She knew that she was late for breakfast as usual but she didn't think she was this late. She waited for the humble woman to move towards the side of Adele.

"Good afternoon, Madam. What could I interest you in today?" She questioned with her frail voice that was weaker than usual today.

"I was wondering if I could possibly have breakfast even though you're probably serving lunch?" She questioned sweetly.

"Actually, we're not actually serving lunch yet so I would be honoured to serve you breakfast, Madam."

"Merci beaucoup, Madam Neville." She smiled genuinely for the first time in a while.

She hobbled her way to the kitchen while Adele noticed a newspaper on the table. She reached forward towards the paper but only pulled her hand back when she noticed a basket of pastries landing next to her. She jumped away from the paper while pretending to reach for a croissant instead. She pulled it from the basket and picked it to pieces with her bony fingers before placing certain sections into her mouth. She would be honest; her appetite wasn't the best since Hugo left her presence, even though it never really was that strong before.

"I'm assuming you would enjoy crepes suzette as usual?" The old woman questioned.

"Yes, please." She beamed.

"One moment."

Adele eyed at the newspaper once again, considering reaching out to the newspaper once again but feared that she was permitted to keep away from the outside world. Even though Madam Neville was a generous woman that loved Adele, she still would obey her superior's orders even if it would deprive Adele. She waited with her hands clamped on her legs until the old woman hobbled back into the room with her order just as quickly as she left.

"Madam." She offered as she placed the plate in front of Adele.

"Merci beaucoup."

The woman moved slowly out of the room to leave Adele in complete privacy. Once she heard the kitchen door swing, she extended her arm for the paper with cat-like reflexes. She immediately flicked open the newspaper, looking for any source of a freak accident or a local bombing that could be associated with the death of Hugo. She scanned every article quickly until her eyes froze in place in synchronization with her blood. There on the second page was a picture of Hugo Stiglitz. She read the articles quickly as they confessed to her that her lover was arrested for killing thirteen Gestapo officers. She then noticed that he would have killed them after the letter he sent her and remembered his words within the letter. She then noticed that he killed them in rebellion to the whole Reich's system. She read through the article which her eyes laced in tears, noticing that they were sending him back to Berlin instead of murdering him. She curled her fingers around the paper in anger, noticing that her uncle placed the paper on the table, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist being allowed back into the outside world. She snarled slightly when she recognized that he did this intentionally. He wanted her to find the article even and cause her even more pain. She couldn't believe how emotionless her uncle was to say he would actually try to force her into a deeper abyss of loneliness by knowing that not only has he separated her from Hugo; he was also being pushed into an early death for murder. That's when Adele thought of the word 'murder'. She pondered if he was labelled as a murderer correctly considering that he was actually placing the world into a better position. She couldn't place a label on what Hugo was doing. She contemplated that he was either a saviour or a murderer and considered that a saviour was a more appropriated word.

Adele closed her eyes, releasing the tears that swelled within her eyes. She ignored them as they poured down her cheeks silently. She didn't even bother to open her eyes for a moment as she attempted to forget the world around her but she couldn't. She opened her eyes to acknowledge the world around her. She considered that her best option would be to take everyday as it came and attempt to end the day stronger. She closed her eyes again, allowing her upper eyelid to knock more tears to travel down her porcelain cheeks.

She couldn't help but feel this overwhelming feeling or isolation and despair as a thousand questions were swimming in her thoughts. She needed questions answered and she could only seek answers from one person.

"Why are they sending him to Berlin?" She questioned quickly after Christoph read the article.

"I believe they're sending him back to his hometown to make an example out of him." He stated in a bored tone while he lit up a cigarette.

"Why are they attempting to make an example out of him rather than executing him?"

"Well, it's probably just because they'll believe that if they brought him back to Berlin then it would scare other rebels in Berlin. Also, it makes the wait torture him a lot more."

She grimaced at his harsh words.

"I understand. Will they leave him go?" She questioned.

He pulled the cigarette from in between his lips and looked up at her sincerely.

"Adele, he killed thirteen Gestapo officers, I doubt he will make it would alive."

She took a sharp intake of air as if the words cut her like a knife.

It was only a short amount of minutes later that she found herself stomping towards her uncle's study. She allowed her anger to become reflected in each step she took. She ripped the doors open, allowing her fury to burst into the room. Her uncle looked up from the documents he was viewing with a fake expression of shock plastered on his face as well as a clear smile of accomplishment.

"How can I help you?" He lowered his eyes, threatening her to advance.

In fury, Adele ignored his intimidation as she slapped the paper down onto his table.

"Why would you put this out on the dining table for me to find?" She demanded in a harsh tone.

"You better settle that tone with me, little lady." He demanded before continuing, "I have no idea what you mean but thank you for returning it to me."

He had a smile plastered on his face that Adele was tempted to smack off his face - so she did. With recoil of her hand, she landed right on the right cheek of her 'loving' uncle. Within a second, his face fell to show shock and surprise that finally twisted into disgust.

"Why would you want me to read this?" She demanded.

He regained his cold composure.

"Because, I wanted to show what you will be missing out on for the rest of your life. You don't have me to blame for this, you know. I just set down the footsteps but Sergeant Stiglitz took the path himself." He laughed slightly.

She felt anger pooling her eyes and agreed that her uncle should not be allowed to see her shedding tears at his expense. Before the tears could escape her eyes, she quickly turned to walk out of the room as her uncle's laughter drifted throughout the hallways.


	10. Chapter 10

**Home Is Where The War Is.**

_Reviews to show me you care._

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><p>Adele tapped the frame of the lead pencil on the blank sheet of paper. Although she had many words to leave onto the paper, she couldn't find the right words. She contemplated over in her head of what to say until finally decided on short, simple, words.<p>

_I've decided I cannot live in the same household as a horrid man like you. I'm ashamed to call you family. Don't bother looking for me. _

_Adele. _

When she was satisfied, she began to pull out the leathered suitcase she brought with her to her uncles. She lifted the object out of the bottom of the wardrobe, preventing it from hitting the ground with a thud. It was extremely late and she was terrified on waking her uncle, it could destroy her escape as well as the last pieces of her freedom. She allowed the suitcase to fall onto the bed as the mattress strained against the object, causing it to bounce slightly. She pulled the items she had resting on her bed and threw them into the suitcase lightly. She packed basic utensils such as basic clothing, toiletries and varies items Hugo gave her. She decided to travel light considering that she wouldn't know how long she would be carrying the heavy weight for. After she packed every necessity, she decided to move towards her uncle's resting place. She found him in his bed with a common expressionless face as he rested next to an empty glass of whiskey - a soldier's remedy for sleeping away restless days. She placed the note next to his empty vile, knowing he would recognize it in the morning. She was beginning to silently creep out of the room before she noticed something on his bedside, a map. She moved her way towards the area while watching her uncle for movement. She picked up the map while she studied it in detail. She noticed it was a map of the area. Considering that it may be helpful, Adele placed the map into her coat pocket and moved toward the door once again before picking up her case on the way out of the room. She attempted to keep herself as quiet as possible as she moved towards the front door. She pulled the door handle downwards until being interrupted by a soft, quiet voice.

"Adele? What are you doing?" She gasped in fear and whipped around to find herself caught in the act.

She noticed the worried eyes on the frail homemade, Madam Neville. Her eyes wandered from Adele's betrayal-filled eyes to the case in her left hand.

"You're leaving?" She whispered.

Adele allowed her eyes to fall to the floor in guilt.

"I'm sorry, Madam." She whispered back, terrified on waking her uncle.

She stayed silent for a moment. "I understand."

"Promise you won't tell him." She begged.

Madam Neville allowed her eyes to wander in the darkness for a moment, pondering her thoughts. She understood the wrath she could face from the Colonel if she didn't inform him about this information but then again, she couldn't continue to allow Adele to be treated in this absurd way any longer.

"Wait here." She informed.

Adele fumbled with her fingers nervously while waiting for the return of Madam Neville. She couldn't shed the thought from her head that Madam Neville was going to come back with her uncle but then again, she understood that she wouldn't put Adele through the same trauma as before. She returned quickly with a bag in her frail hand. She pulled herself in front of Adele.

"Here, take these. There's food inside from the kitchen."

Adele smiled at the woman. "Thank you so much, Madam."

She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out silver.

"Here, you'll need these too." She told Adele while trying to pry the Francs into Adele's hand.

"Madam! I cannot." She insisted quietly.

"Nonsense. You'll need it more than me, Adele." She coaxed her as Adele took the generous offer.

"He'll be awake in an hour. Be safe." She warned before Adele opened the door quietly.

Madam Neville stood at the doorway, watching Adele for the last time.

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><p>After six months of Adele's disappearance, Colonel Hans Landa gave up his search. He reconciled that the paths of what he considered to be a traitor will always meet once again. And he couldn't be further from the truth when he considered that she was helping the enemy of the state.<p>

Adele bounced slightly as the truck roared over the depressions in the ragged back roads. She couldn't deny the fact that she was after becoming quite intelligent once it come to the idea of concealing herself from the Germans. She kept her existence hidden behind the back roads of Reims. She hit a considerable depression as she heard someone whimper in the back of the truck.

"Is everyone okay?" She called out in French, trying to voice herself over the roar of the engine.

"Qui." Was the quiet response she heard from familiar voice that she noticed belonged to the mother of the family.

She focused her attention back to the road as the truck climbed the isolated road ahead. She turned the corner to notice something up ahead. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to see further. Once she approached the object she noticed something horrifying - a checkpoint.

She swore underneath her breath as she felt her grip on the steering wheel as she began to weigh her options. She contemplated an attempt to escape by perhaps pulling her way through the checkpoint but decided that it would just raise an extremely high suspicion and pursuit. She decided to stay extremely calm and hope for that they would leave her move on. She stopped nervously at the checkpoint and could see that it consisted of six soldiers and two trucks that were slightly blocking the road. Once she pulled up to the checkpoint, she killed the engine before she lowered her window where once officer hung onto with his forearm. Once she opened the barrier between the two, she felt the coldness of the air slap her into the face.

"French?" He questioned in French.

"No, German." She replied in German.

"Excellent. Now we don't need a translator." He slightly laughed.

She stayed quiet but smiled nervously.

"May I ask where you're going?" He questioned.

"Paris."

He hummed in response. "Do you have your papers?"

"Yes." She responded while reaching into the glove department before returning them to him.

She looked at him with fear pooling in her eyes while he examined her papers lazily.

"That's alright." He handed her back the papers before rubbing his nose slightly while sniffing.

"What's in the back?" He motioned with his thumb.

"Nothing." She responded.

"Mind if we check?" He questioned.

"Of course." She fumbled with the keys, contemplating an escape.

"I'm sorry, madam, but we'll need the keys while we check the back. Standard procedure." He assured her.

She removed the keys with an irritated expression and allowed her shaken hands to return them into the palm of the officer's hand. She realised that she was caught. There was nothing she could do now but prey for a miracle as she watched the officers in the side mirror as they moved their way to the back of the truck. She watched as the soldier on the right side of her truck move the shield between their 'enemies'. She closed her eyes tightly, refusing to watch the rest of the scenario as it unfolded.

"Jews!" One of them shouted.

She squeezed her eyes tighter together as she heard one of them stomping towards her in the driver's seat. The door flung open and a rough hand grabbed her arm. She forced her eyes open as the soldier yanked her from the safety of the car into the cold. Her body fell onto the cold gravel as the soldier proceeded to drag her toward the back of the truck. They threw her into the truck, allowing her to sink to the floor.

"Move and you die." The friendly soldier from before warned while pointing the gun towards her.

"What are you doing?" He demanded straight afterwards.

"Isn't it obvious?" She snarled, feeling her annoyance rise.

"You're harbouring Jews!" He accused.

"Yes." She answered simply.

He turned to the officers.

"Get her into the back of the truck! I want two in the back and one driving to Paris." He demanded.

"You'll get to go to Paris." He laughed at her. "But for the wrong reasons."

She sat in the back of the truck, her hands bond together with a rough rope. She surveyed the area around her and watched the saddened look of the family. She noticed she let them down completely when she promised them complete safety. She looked over the faces of the children on the opposite side of her before her eyes snapped with the soldier sitting next to them, close to the back of the truck. She noticed the formation on the other side with the adults, including Adele. They attempted to keep them as far away from the back as they could. Adele moved her hand down the lining of her right boot where Hugo's blade rested. She understood that attempting to injure one soldier would be a suicide mission, not mind saying two, but she couldn't stop herself from reaching for the blade.

Suddenly, the truck halted to a stop and the passengers were shoved to the side slightly. It was slightly for a moment until the sound of roaring gunfire kick started. All the passengers in the back crouched their head into their knees while making some noise of fear. Adele closed her eyes as she heard the children fall to the floor of the truck in fear, screaming for their parent's help who were also attempting to shield their lives.

She heard someone shouting but could understand them through her disorientated state. The gunfire forced her ears to begin ringing furiously as she clutched her ears in discomfort. The doors to the back of the truck swung open and sunshine poured into the isolated area furiously. The intensive light caused the family and Adele to pull their head into the darkness of the back of the truck. Adele felt the soldier by her side fall out of the truck as he hit the gravel. She turned to the scenery and saw the soldier being pulled by another man while the other soldier pulled out his firearm in an attempt to protect his fellow soldier. Adele couldn't help but feel the world move slower as she lunged at the soldier, knocking him onto the floor. She pulled her hand upwards as she allowed the sunlight to hit the blade before driving it down into the German's neck with her both hands that were tied together. After the blade was driven into the depths of the soldier's throat, she pulled the blade out before driving it downwards once more. She removed her hands from the blade, allowing it to balance into the soldier's throat while crimson fluid poured out from the silver. It poured down the side of his neck while he gasped for his final breaths. Adele sat on his torso while hunching her back, allowing herself to gain momentum also. She attempted to steady her breath from the adrenaline surge she felt only moments ago. The soldier's chest finally stopped moving but Adele's was still as furious as before. Hair hung in her hair as she stared at the sight before her, completely in a trance. The sound of gunshot rang throughout the air and caused Adele to jump. She whipped her head towards the sound of the gunshot and noticed the remaining soldier's head was pouring with crimson fluid. She saw the boot of one of the other men resting on the soldier's head. She began to shake slightly as she followed the boot upwards to one of the men. She observed the two soldiers and noticed that they were definitely not French. One of them reached out towards her, causing her to flinch backwards off the soldier's body.

"Hey, now. It's alright, little lady. Why don't you just come out and allow us to have a pleasant chat?" He questioned in English.

Confused by their accent with a certain amount of words, she found it difficult to understand what they were saying clearly. Her eyes dashed from the two mysterious men before she swooped her hand out to the blade that was lodged into the soldier's neck. She held it up defensively towards the two other men.

"Calm down." They demanded softly while putting their hands up in response.

"Who are you?" She demanded in German.

"I can't understand her." One of them told the other.

"And you think I can? Shit." The other responded.

Adele's eyes dashed from one to the other.

"Who are you?" She repeated in broken English.

"I'm Donny and this is Hirschberg. We won't hurt you." One of them told her.

She slowly and hesitantly moved the knife away, showing that she trusted them slightly.

"Looks like we've got the uniforms we needed." She heard another man respond towards them.

She pulled the knife upwards once again as she heard the crunching of gravel, signalling that someone else was approaching them.

"It's okay, he is one of us." The other waved his hands slightly, showing his was unarmed once again.

Another man moved to the side of them. Adele looked upon the face of another one of her saviours.

"Adele? I'm so happy you're alive!" He exclaimed in German.

"You know her?" The man known as Donny to Adele questioned.

Hugo smiled slightly while approaching her. Adele's expression stayed firm before dropping the knife to lunge out of the van to Hugo. She jumped into his arms in what he thought was an expression of affection before Adele began to thump her fists into Hugo's back.

"What are you doing?" Hugo demanded before pulling her back from him.

He placed on her feet on the ground while holding on her hands to prevent her from hitting anyone any longer.

"What the hell are you doing? It's me; Hugo." He attempted to reason with her, considering that perhaps she couldn't recognize him since he was now 'shaggy' once it came to his appearance. He was taken aback by her response.

"You bastard!" She shouted while attempting to hit him.

"You got that right." One of the men that Adele noticed as Hirschberg began to snicker at almost a privet joke.

"Shut up." Hugo demanded while scowling at him before turning his eyes back to Adele, allowing his eyes to soft at her.

"What's wrong with you?" He demanded softly.

"You broke your promise! You promised you wouldn't get into trouble!" She shouted while managing her wrists. She began to thump on his chest before Hugo attained them again.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw the newspaper! You killed Gestapo officers, you idiot!" She shouted back at him.

He was silent for a moment while the other men stared at Adele with wide eyes. They noticed that they were probably engaged with each other in some sort of relationship to consider their fights.

"You shouldn't preach to me about being safe, Adele! Leaving your uncle's house? Are you crazy? I know that his manor wasn't exactly the safest but neither is out here! You're lucky we found you today or else you would be on your way to prison or back to your uncle!" He warned her.

"If you were so worried about me then why didn't you come back for me once you were free or even write to me?" She demanded.

"Of course I went there looking for you again but Christoph told me that you disappeared four months prior." He calmed his voice.

Her eyebrows loosened from anger. She dropped her head slightly from his gaze while Hugo uncurled his hands from around her wrist.

"Well, that was entertaining but we better leave." Hirschberg warned.

"Yeah, sure. What are we going to do about them?" Donny asked while gesturing his thumb towards the Jewish family and Adele.

"She's staying with us." Hugo said without pulling his gaze from Adele.

"We can't, Hugo. Aldo won't be impressed with that." Donny warned.

"I don't care. We're bringing her or else I'm staying here with her." Hugo warned.

"Who said I even wanted to be with you?" Adele retorted in German.

"I did and whether you like it or not, you're coming with me." He responded.

She huffed in response, fed up of fighting.

"Okay, I guess we're stuck with her then." Hirschberg joked before he caught the intimidating gaze of Hugo before he focused his attention back to Adele.

"What about these then?" Donny asked to the family.

"We leave them, I suppose." Hirschberg responded.

"I'm not going without them." Adele told Hugo, looking into his eyes.

Hugo's breath caught in his throat, discovering the passion in her eyes to help the less fortunate.

"We'll bring them." Hugo told the others while her face lightened up, smiling at him vigorously.

"Whatever you say, Hugo." Donny agreed.

"We'll drop them off in Paris before we locate the Basterds." Hugo told Adele in German.

"Thank you, Hugo." She told him before turning to the family. "They will drop you off outside of Paris." She told them in French.

The children smiled towards Adele which she returned generously.

"I'll drive. Hirschberg, want to ride front with me?" Donny asked, acknowledging that Hugo might want to be with Adele in the back.

"Okay." Hirschberg responded.

Hugo climbed into the back of back of truck before kicking the soldier off the back of the truck. He then turned around to offer Adele his hand. She looked at it sceptically before climbing into the truck independently. She was still angry at Hugo and she didn't want him to think that everything was fixed now. He pulled his hand back before pulling himself to seat next to her. He noticed she moved away slightly but ignored it as he watched her cleaning the blade he gave her with the hem of her shirt before shoving it back into her boot.

"Who are the Basterds?" She asked him.

"We're a group of mostly soldiers. We're fighting the resistance of the Third Reich." He told her blatantly.

"And will they accept me?"

"They better or else I'm not returning."

She wouldn't look at him. "Why are you throwing this away for me?"

"Because, you mean more to me." He promised her.

She remained silent.

She couldn't deny that she noticed that Hugo cared about her a lot, but she also couldn't deny that he ignored her lifestyle while he pushed forward with his ambition for the Basterds. It also annoyed her extremely that he judged her for pulling herself through danger while he did the exact same except he put himself on the frontline of danger while she lurked in the trenches. She couldn't blame herself for not knowing about Hugo's escape from Berlin. She was hidden from all media and didn't have the insight like her uncle did to the propaganda of the Third Reich.

She watched as the back of the truck got darker as they approached Paris but she was confirmed by her theory once the back of the truck opened and Donny ushered the family out of the truck. Before they vacated themselves, the faces of the family turned to Adele.

"I think I speak for the whole family when I say 'thank you'." The mother smiled towards her.

The eldest daughter hugged her before all the other children involved themselves also. They remained in the embrace for a few moments before they removed themselves from Adele to leave the area. Adele looked at them from the back of the truck before the doors slammed shut. She felt a surge of delight as she leaned her head against the metal walls, sighing in relief of their safety.

"That was a good thing you did." Hugo told her while placing his hand on her knee.

"Thank you for your help." She told him before shrugging his hand off her knee.

Hugo looked down at the floor in rejection before shuffling away from her slightly, allowing her more room. Adele couldn't help but feel the sense of guilt and regret once he moved away from her. She wouldn't admit it but she felt slightly bad for rejecting his attempts of affection and love towards her but she had to prove she is now a stronger person and was currently independent after his betrayal.

The car started up again, pulling her from her thoughts as the car forced her to bounce along with the depressions in the road. Her head still rested against the metal which shattered at every depression, forcing a headache. She removed her head from the surface before resting it on her arms with was supported by her knees. She remained like that for the remainder of the journey, allowing herself to fall asleep.

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><p><em>Sorry the ending was kind of rushing. My baby niece woke up and I had to make the princess some breakfast and watch our annual morning Spongebob. (: <em>


	11. Chapter 11

Home Is Where The War Is.

_Sorry for the delay, guys. I've been extremely busy lately with college registration ): _

_Show your love (:_

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><p>The loud sound of creaking metal made Adele jump in surprise. She quickly glanced around to notice darkness. She couldn't deny she allowed her fear to exhale out of the body slightly as the truck jumped to a halt.<p>

"It's okay, we've arrived." She heard the voice of Hugo.

She assumed that he recognized the distress in her exhale and immediately felt reassured by the comforting sound of his voice. She couldn't understand why but she came to the conclusion that it was the sense of protection considering that she wouldn't have to fight alone any longer. She liked the thought of somebody else being there to help her throughout her struggles against the Third Reich. She pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the straining door of the back of the truck to open. The dim light attempted to force its way into the truck. Even though the light was scarce, it helped her to make out the dark figure of Hugo sitting across from her. He sat there, staring out the door intensely before pulling himself out. He dropped to the floor, allowing the gravel to crunch underneath his boots before turning back to Adele. She made her way over to Donny, Hirschberg and Hugo at the end of the truck as they waited for her. Hugo contemplated holding out his hand to support her fall before quickly clenching his fist by his side, fearing rejection. Just as he suspected, she didn't even pass him a glance while jumping onto the road. She looked up at Donny for confirmation on their quest.

"We'll be heading out now as soon as possible. We have to abandon the truck since it would be too suspicious to keep around and too noticeable. Before we do, is there anything you need from it?" He spoke in harsh English followed by Hugo's soothing German accent.

Adele simply kept her vision focused on Donny while Hugo spoke as she felt Hugo's intensity bore into her skin, begging for attention that she would not accept. She just simply nodded her head before moving to the front of the truck. She opened the glove box to pull out the weapon Hugo gave her for protection before grabbing her bag from the passenger's floor. She walked up to them and simply nodded to confirm she was ready.

The three men began to walk together and Adele decided to allow herself to fall behind them, not wanting any unnecessary attention from them. She heard Donny and Hirschberg exchanging quiet words together while Hugo simply reached into his front pocket to pull out a packet of cigarettes. He tapped one off the metal box before sliding it between his lips and igniting it. He inhaled the smoke deeply before exhaling. Adele glared at the man as the smoke deliberately smacked into her face as well as the cold rush of air. She moved out of the line of smoke while keeping her head fixed ahead of the men. She attempted continuously to allow her eyes to adjust to the lack of light but it failed desperately.

She finally found her voice and attempted to make it sound strong and independent.

"Where are we going?"

"To the basecamp. We'll be there in about ten minutes." It was the voice she didn't want to communicate with – Hugo's.

She didn't say anything in response but instead just simply kept her eyes following the barely visible path ahead. She allowed her footing to become misplaced as she stumbled slightly, snapping objects on the floor in the process. Alerted, the three men before quickly swooped around to examine the scene. Donny and Hirschberg simply stared at her in curiosity while Hugo rushed to her with concern.

"I'm fine Hugo." She told him while picking herself up from the ground, pulling the dirt off her hands.

Hugo ignored his harshness as he attempted to pull her off the ground still. She didn't try to unwind his fingers around her forearm as he pulled off the ground. Once she regained her composure, she pulled the coat around her waist and continued to follow the two men ahead while cursing herself for falling. Hugo was now walking next to her with a pace that matched hers. She sighed softly while noticing that he was now exercising extra caution around her presence. She just simply allowed him to walk with her after contemplating speeding up her pace, attempting to irritate him or send a message though. But she quickly discovered that he would just follow her pace continuously until they reached the camp. She couldn't help but allow the thought 'how bad could ten minutes be?' run throughout her head with every step she allowed to sink into the forest floor. She listened to the sound of wind blowing violently past her ears as she attempted to block out the sound of everything else around her. But unfortunately for her, it was unable to draw out the sound of Hugo's voice.

"I went looking for you, you know. What you did was quite courageous but I would have preferred if you didn't have." He told her while blowing out a fog of smoke.

"I would have preferred that you didn't go to war." She attempted to continue before he cut her off.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You didn't allow me to finish. What I was going to say was 'but now I don't care'. And you shouldn't either." She told her before attempting to speed her pace to avoid him but he caught up to her with precision.

"I know you don't feel that way." He said softly.

"You don't know me, anymore." She sliced his words of affection with harshness before continuing her pace beside the other two men.

They exchanged a quizzical look towards each other, recognizing that there was tension in the air from Hugo and Adele but ignored it. They decided that considering it's none of their business, that they shouldn't get intertwined in their drama or personal lifestyle. They didn't know Hugo for that long of a period of time until they discovered that his emotions were extremely sheltered and he had no interest in amusing the other soldiers with them. But when they saw him with Adele, they noticed that he couldn't even attempt to hide his love for her. They could see the emotions of love and lust pooling in his eyes while he gazed upon her but they also noticed the cold, distant look of Adele during the rare moments she focused her attention on Hugo. They knew something was wrong between to the two due to incident that occurred between the two when they first laid eyes on each other. They guessed they were possible lovers but couldn't shake the thought that lovers don't regularly attack each other for any apparent reason. But then again, they weren't sure if they were lovers or if it was a one-sided love. They didn't know the exact details and they didn't particularly want to get involved. They allowed the woman walk besides them without a single word being exchanged between the three with Hugo trailing behind them. For the duration of the travel through trees and the textured ground, not another word was exchanged between the four of them after Adele's harsh comment. They finally pulled through the tension and embarrassment to finally reach an open clearing.

Adele attempted to swallow her fears while approaching the group of soldiers ahead of her in the clearing but she couldn't shake the sense that these people were dangerous. She knew she was walking into a death trap that would set breadcrumbs for her uncle to find her but she couldn't stop herself from walking. Inside, she slowed down her pace slightly, sinking back behind Donny and Hirschberg to remain at Hugo's side. She couldn't care about the fact that her heart was supposed to be feeling fury towards him because at this moment she could only feel one thing – fear. Hugo noticed her sinking into the background as they walked towards the other group but didn't say a word to her. His hand twitched as he contemplated placing it into hers. But he couldn't shake the thought of rejection and hate from her. All he wanted was to comfort her but the blow of rejection discouraged him even more every single time. Hugo was shocked to feel her arm brush against his as he realised that she was subconsciously sinking into him to feel protected in this group of strangers. He couldn't help but feel the slightest of smirks hit his face once he discovered that she needed him even though she denied in reality that she did.

Once they approached the group, they all stopped allowing the eyes of all the soldier's eyes to lay upon them – more specifically, Adele. Hugo heard the sharp inhale she took while attempting to shield her behind Donny from the rest of the world.

"Who is that?" She heard a thick, angry American accent voice over the hushed soldiers.

She couldn't help her fear and anxiety take over any longer, she firmly whipped her hand out to grasp Hugo's hand, squeezing it tightly. He couldn't help but smile vigorously before glancing down at Adele. Her vision faced the floor in fear while she shook from a mixture of fear and coldness. He took the moment to squeeze her freezing cold hand in reassurance and watched as her face softened. She couldn't deny that breaking down her composure in front of the soldiers as well as Hugo was degrading but she couldn't fight it. She begged for the affection of somebody else while she hid from the soldiers.

"My girlfriend." Hugo replied in English as Donny and Hirschberg stepped out of the way, allowing them to gaze upon the woman more thoroughly.

She felt the gaze of everyone even though she hid her face away from them. She squeezed Hugo's hand tighter and he responded in the usual, comforting fashion of comfort.

"And? What is she doing here?" The American accent questioned again.

"We found her. She's been harbouring Jews and bringing them across borders." Donny defended the woman.

"You didn't answer my question; what is she doing here?" He questioned again.

"She wants to help us." Hugo responded.

Adele could tell that they were trying to convince the American soldier to allow her to stay even though she couldn't understand what they were saying completely.

"Does she speak English?" He questioned while in thought.

She gulped. "A little."

They all looked towards her as she voiced his soft words.

"Are you a traitor?" He asked.

She shook her head in response.

"Well, how do we know that?"

She couldn't understand what he said in English and Hugo understood that before taking the lead.

"She's the Colonel's niece. She disappeared from him more than six months ago. She's been hiding from him while transferring Jewish families." Hugo told him.

"Well, isn't she the brave type." He smiled manically.

Adele could tell from his smile that he was impressed by whatever Hugo had said. She understood that he mentioned Jewish families and the Colonel so she could vaguely understand what he told the American.

"I guess she's alright, for now." He turned to his original seating position with the other soldiers around the fire.

Hugo walked forward, pulling her hand to guide her around the fire with the others. He sat down in the circle with others and pulled Adele to his side. They both sat on the cold, dark ground. He placed her hand into his lap, still entwined with hers. She slowly pulled her hand away from him while everyone's attention was focused on a matter the American was speaking of. She could feel Hugo's form sink slightly when she moved her hand away but she continued to ignore it. He looked over at her with hurt eyes while he noticed that her attention was focused on the leader of the soldiers.

"That's Lieutenant Aldo Raine. He is the leading officer in this scenario." He told her, obviously feeling like he was the only person important in the area.

"What do you do here?" She questioned back.

"Simple, we hunt Nazis."

"But you were one." She told him.

"Yes, I was but obviously not anymore."

"Who are you all?"

"We're the Basterds." He flashed a gaze towards her just in time to catch her shiver.

"Cold?" He questioned simply.

"No." She pushed his hopes back but when she continued speaking, his hopes lifted again, "I'm a little tired though."

Even though Hugo knew that Adele was lying, he didn't argue. He knew she was only attempting to leave the awkward situation they were feeling at that moment in time and he wasn't particularly bothered as long as he got to be alone with her.

"Aldo, I'm going to escorting Adele to bed." Hugo told the officer once the conversation between everyone calmed down.

"Alright. You can take your regular tent but just keep it down, kids." He smiled devilishly while the group boomed with laughter.

Once they started laughing Adele knew that Aldo had said something perverse to be able to have the crowd around him surround the atmosphere with laughter but she agreed to ignore it. For the first time, she felt regretful for being unable to understand her surrounding language of English. She even more helpless since she needed Hugo's presence to be able to translate for her.

Hugo stood up and motioned his hand towards Adele, offering her assistance. Although Hugo burned with confidence, it was obvious to Adele that he was terrified of rejection as his eyes knitted together in concern. She sighed softly before taking his hand to be polite in front of the other soldiers. She knew that if she rejected his request than questions and rumours would be flying around the campfire throughout the night and she noticed that the only thing that was winning her over to the Basterds was the fact that they believed she was still Hugo's girlfriend. Once she was pulled from the ground, she was lashed by a cold welcoming of the harsh air before following Hugo towards the clear indication of tents for the soldiers. She let Hugo's hand slip out of hers after walking out of the viewpoint of the Basterds.

"You will be sleeping my tent." He told her while approaching a tent.

She didn't reply as he pulled the tent open and motioning for her entrance. She silently crawled into the tent and noticed there wasn't much to her surroundings except for a duffle bag and a large blanket.

"Would you like something to sleep in?" He offered.

"I'm guessing you don't have much though." She told him.

"Unfortunately, I only have a top." He offered.

"Better than nothing." She admitted.

He crouched into the tent to pull at the duffle bag before pulling out a large white shirt. He silently placed the shirt next to her before exiting the tent. After she gave him confirmation, he crawled back into the tent to find her in his oversized shirt while hiding the rest of her underneath the blanket. He zipped up the tent once he was inside it and alarmed Adele slightly.

"What are you doing?" She questioned.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to sleep."

"Here?" She questioned.

"Of course. It's my tent." He reminded her.

She just simply nodded while noticing that he did offer her his resting place out of generosity and she didn't want to seem extremely ungrateful by telling him to sleep outside of the tent.

Her eyes couldn't help themselves from widening while Hugo took off his shirt. She watched as it lifted over his head and she watched his chest becoming slowly revealed. She threw herself back into the covers while attempting to ignore his search for her attention. Without words, he pulled himself underneath the covers, quite close to Adele. She felt herself shiver from the close contact but Hugo took it the wrong way. Without a single word he moved closer to Adele to engulf her within his arms. She gasped in shock as she was wrapped into his chest, facing his pale skin. She could feel the heat radiating off his body as she noticed that he was definitely used to these conditions unlike her. She shivered from the warm contact and allowed herself to sink deeper into Hugo's chest without a single doubt or complaint. Hugo couldn't help but listen to her regular breathing pattern throughout the night that indicated that she was finally as he felt a genuine smile of happiness crept upon his face for the first time since he left Adele.


End file.
